What it costs
DBS umbrella bodies and what they charge
Enter the admin fee you were quoted: the total with the DBS fee and any VAT.
What the check costs you, admin fee and VAT included
Total for a enhanced dbs check
£53
| Official fee (Disclosure and Barring Service) | £41 |
| Admin fee | £10 |
| VAT on the admin fee | £2 |
DBS fee in force since 5 October 2026. The admin fee is set by the intermediary, not by DBS.
An umbrella body is an organisation registered with DBS that submits standard and enhanced applications for employers, charities and self-employed people who are not registered themselves. GOV.UK says an organisation making fewer than 100 checks a year must use one; above that it can register with DBS directly. The umbrella body checks the applicant's identity documents, makes sure the role is eligible for the level asked and sends the application. It passes on the DBS fee, £20 for a standard check and £41 for an enhanced check since 5 October 2026, and adds an admin fee that it sets freely. HMRC rules on disbursements mean the DBS fee can be passed on without VAT when it is the applicant's or employer's own cost, while the admin fee is the umbrella body's service and carries VAT at 20% if it is VAT-registered. A quote "from £10 + VAT" is therefore £53 for an enhanced check.
Fees and rules checked by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · How the figures are built
Totals for a quoted admin fee
| Admin fee quoted | Basic | Standard | Enhanced |
|---|---|---|---|
| No admin fee | £20 | £20 | £41 |
| £10 + VAT | £32 | £32 | £53 |
| £20 + VAT | £44 | £44 | £65 |
| £30 + VAT | £56 | £56 | £77 |
The admin fees in this table and the £10 in the calculator are examples to show the arithmetic, not a market price: the GOV.UK search does not publish fees, so enter the figure you were quoted.
What the rules say
The GOV.UK employer guidance sets the threshold: under 100 standard or enhanced checks a year, use an umbrella body; for basic checks, an employer making more than 1,000 a year can become a responsible organisation, and below that uses one. The umbrella body must check that the role is eligible for the level, and the self-employed guidance of January 2026 relies on it to do so for people who apply for themselves.
VAT, line by line
Section 25 of VAT Notice 700 treats a payment made on behalf of a customer as a disbursement, outside the scope of VAT, when the customer receives and uses what is paid for and the cost is passed on at its exact amount. That is how most umbrella bodies show the DBS fee: at £41 with no VAT. Their admin fee is a supply of their own service, so it carries the standard rate of 20% (GOV.UK VAT rates) if the business is VAT-registered. An invoice that shows VAT on the whole amount, DBS fee included, is worth querying.
Checks before you choose
Ask for the admin fee per level and whether VAT is included, whether volunteer applications are charged, how identity is checked (in person, by post or online) and whether the fee covers a resubmission if the form is rejected. Confirm the company in the GOV.UK search.
What an umbrella body cannot change
An umbrella body cannot raise the level of check beyond what the eligibility guidance allows for the role, and it cannot shorten the time DBS and the police take. It cannot change the DBS fee either: £41 for an enhanced check is the same through every umbrella body. What differs from one to the next is the admin fee, the way identity is checked and the help given when a form is rejected.