Petition
Stop umbrella companies passing employer costs to contractors!
Rejected
21 signatures
What the petition asks
Change the law so umbrella companies can no longer pass employer costs—like National Insurance and pension contributions—onto contractors. These costs should be paid on top of the contractor’s agreed rate, not taken from it.
Contractors using umbrella companies are being misled into believing they are employees, but receive none of the benefits—no real pension contributions, no employer NI, no protections—yet still fund all the employer’s costs from their own rate. This practice is unfair, opaque, and exploitative. The law must change to protect workers.
Why it was rejected
The UK Government or Parliament was already taking the action it asked for.
The Government issued new guidance about working through an umbrella company which sets out that the umbrella company will be responsible for paying costs such as National Insurance Contributions and pension contributions.
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/working-through-an-umbrella-company#:~:text=The%20government%20recently%20announced%20in,any%20necessary%20changes%20are%20reflected
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/working-through-an-umbrella-company#:~:text=The%20government%20recently%20announced%20in,any%20necessary%20changes%20are%20reflected
Timeline
| 8 Apr 2025 | Petition opened for signatures |
| 15 May 2025 | Rejected by the Petitions Committee |
Key facts
Signatures
21
Status
Rejected
Rejected
15 May 2025
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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 27 Jul 2026.