Working from home can give you the flexibility to work around commitments and might be particularly helpful if have a disability or health condition or are managing caring responsibilities.
What type of work from home opportunities are available?
There are many different types of part-time and full-time work-from-home opportunities to suit people with different skills and experience. Some companies will offer home working as an option and others have it as the default business model. All you will need to get started is a good internet connection, although you may need access to a personal computer or laptop for some roles.
What are the rates of pay?
Rates of pay vary greatly depending on the type of job. Some work-from-home roles are paid by the results or by commission. Before agreeing to a work from home job, check that the work will pay at least the national minimum wage. Also research the company, check reputable online review sites and professional networking sites including LinkedIn (external website).
How is the pay calculated?
This varies depending on the type of work and skills required. You may be in a salaried role, or some specific jobs that are done from home frequently include creating website content and copy (which may pay per word or page written or on an hourly basis) and online tutoring jobs (which mostly pay by the hour).
Here are some ideas for getting started:
Paid work opportunities from home
-
Online tutoring
You can tutor online in almost any subject. If English is your native language, English tutor jobs are an obvious choice. You could help people across the globe to learn or improve their English. You will need ESOL qualifications (external website).
-
Website testing
Many companies are keen to make sure their websites are suitable for the average user, and if you are a frequent internet user you could be in a great position to help them out with some testing
-
Typing and transcription
If you have good spelling and grammar and enjoy typing, consider transcription work. A typical transcription job involves being provided with a piece of audio to listen to and then you type up what has been said, this could either be a summary or word for word.
-
Translation
If you are qualified to work in the United Kingdom and you are confident and fluent in a second language, then translation work is a good way to earn a part or full time income from home.
What should I watch out for?
There are a number of work from home scams to be aware of. Beware of organisations asking for money up front and offering roles promising enormous earning potential. If it sounds too good to be true, the chances are it is.
Where can I find work from home opportunities?
Start your search by visiting Find a job (external website). Most well-known job sites like Reed (external website) have work from home jobs advertised. The employment 4 students website (external website) also has a range of part-time work from home vacancies.
Other help available
You can claim Universal Credit if you’re working part time and on a low income. If you’re employed, how much Universal Credit you get will depend on your earnings. Your Universal Credit payment will reduce gradually as you earn more.
If you are already claiming Universal Credit, it’s important to remember that payments will adjust to your earnings, so if the amount of work changes from week to week, Universal Credit could top up your income.
