Employers are under no obligation to pay for a DBS check, so they’re well within their rights to ask you to pay some or all of the costs.
However, most employers will cover the cost for you, as it’s good business etiquette.
Should I Pay For My Own DBS Check? Agency Work
Some industries are much less likely to cover the costs of your DBS check than others – the best example being work at any sort of agency.
Agency work is less rigid and formal than traditional employment, and agency work sees a high turnover of staff, so your agency is less likely to cover the costs of your DBS check versus a regular employer.
I used to work in the office at an agency whose staff needed Enhanced DBS checks. We had to stop covering the costs of our agency workers’ DBS checks while I was there, as people were registering with us, getting their checks for free, then using them to work for other agencies!
What Can I Do To Avoid Paying?
If your employer is insisting on you covering the costs of your check, you can ask them to reconsider, but other than that, there’s nothing you can really do! You could also refuse to be checked, but this will almost certainly result in consequences for your employment status.
If your employer doesn’t cover your DBS costs, consider it an insight into how your new management’s culture. But also consider that your employer might have an excellent reason to ask their staff to pay for themselves, like the agency I worked at.
Further Reading
If you have found our article, “Should I Pay For My Own DBS Check?” useful, you might find the following FAQs useful too:
About The Author
Matthew Dugdale
Matthew is our go-to when it comes to all things related to Recruitment & DBS checks. His experience and expertise helps make sure that everyone gets the correct level of check.