Every question we get from applicants, answered straight. If yours isn't here, ring +353 1 234 5678 or email apply@here2help.ie.
No. You're an independent contractor. The relationship is the same as the one between Bolt and a hackney driver, or Uber and a delivery rider. We're the platform that connects you to bookings; you're the companion who delivers the work. You can also drive for Bolt or work for an agency at the same time — there's no exclusivity.
Correct. As an independent contractor you're not entitled to employment benefits. You set your own availability and you decide when to take time off. This is gig work — well-paid and well-structured gig work, but gig work.
Yes, any booking, any reason, no penalty. We don't track refusal rates and we don't share them with families. If a booking doesn't suit your area, your hours, or your gut on the day, you pass and we send it to someone else.
Yes. We don't ask for exclusivity. Many of our companions also drive for Bolt or work shifts for a care agency. The bookings we send you fit around the rest of your week, not the other way around.
€60 per pickup-and-home booking (≈ 1.5–2 hours). The customer pays €100; you keep €60 (60%). If the family books additional hours at €30/hour, you keep €20 of each extra hour (67%). Quick examples:
Long-haul drop-offs (outside Dublin) include a travel top-up paid in full to you — we don't take a cut of the travel surcharge.
Weekly, by bank transfer, every Friday. The Friday payment covers all bookings completed Sunday through Saturday of the previous week. You get a detailed itemised payslip by email.
Yes — you're responsible for your own income tax, USC, and PRSI on Here2Help earnings. We issue a year-end summary every January covering the previous tax year. If you're a PAYE worker earning extra, that summary goes on your Form 12. If you're already self-employed, it goes on your Form 11. We strongly recommend you get accountant advice the first year — it's straightforward, but worth doing right.
If you earn under €5,000/year from non-PAYE sources, you can usually report it via Form 12 and no separate registration is needed. Above that, you may need to register as a sole trader via TR1 — your accountant will tell you. We can suggest accountants who already know our setup.
Fuel and your own car costs are your responsibility — they come out of the booking fee. The fee structure already accounts for typical Dublin-area distances. Long-haul drop-offs (cross-county) include a separate travel top-up paid in full to you.
Yes — every Here2Help companion must hold current Garda vetting under the National Vetting Bureau Acts. There are no exceptions.
If your existing vetting is current (typically within the last 3 years), we verify it directly with the issuing organisation and you're good. If it's expired, or it was for a role that doesn't qualify (e.g. childcare-only), we apply for fresh vetting through Here2Help — we're registered as a "relevant organisation" with the Bureau.
We apply on your behalf. The process takes typically 4-6 weeks. We cover the cost — you pay nothing to be vetted.
The Vetting Bureau makes that call, not us. Certain convictions for offences against children or vulnerable adults will result in non-disclosure. Spent convictions and unrelated minor offences typically do not. We make the call on your application based on what the Bureau returns and the relevance to the role.
Yes — you carry the patient in your own vehicle. The car must be in good condition, clean, comfortable, and have room in the boot for a walking aid. We don't ask for a specific model or age, but a 20-year-old saloon may not be the right fit; common sense applies.
Often not. Standard personal motor policies exclude "hire or reward" — paid passenger carry. You need either (a) a hackney/SPSV policy if you already drive a hackney, (b) a business-use extension on your existing policy that explicitly covers paid passenger carry, or (c) a separate hire-and-reward policy. We can suggest brokers who know the Here2Help setup and quote reasonable rates.
We carry public liability and professional indemnity cover on the booking itself — this protects you and the family against unlikely accidents during the booking (e.g. a slip at the hospital entrance, a stumble at the front door). It does not cover your car or your personal motor liability — that's still your insurer's job.
You ring 999/112 immediately if it's an emergency, and our duty line (+353 1 234 5678) as soon as it's safe to do so. We then handle the family communication and any incident reporting. You will never be left to deal with a serious medical situation alone — we're a phone call away.
It happens occasionally. Our companions are trained to introduce themselves gently and explain why they're there. Most patients relax once they understand. If a patient genuinely refuses, you don't force the issue — you ring our duty line and we call the family. We don't charge the family for a job that couldn't be completed because the patient refused, and we still pay you for the time spent.
Discharge delays happen constantly. The booking fee covers up to 90 minutes of waiting beyond the scheduled time. After that, additional waiting time is paid hourly. We handle the conversation with the family — they understand.
Yes — you set your own work radius. You can accept bookings only within 10km of home, or within your county, or wherever suits. We send you bookings within your set radius; you accept the ones that fit.
That's a deal-breaker, honestly. The family contact is half of what they're paying for. If you're uncomfortable texting a worried daughter to say "your mam is home and settled with a cup of tea," this probably isn't the work for you — and we'd rather you didn't apply than be unhappy in the role.
If your paperwork is current — vetting, references, insurance — typically 2-3 weeks from application to first booking. If we need to apply for fresh vetting, add 4-6 weeks. Orientation and shadow shift add another week.
We tell you honestly. If it's a paperwork issue we can help fix, we'll tell you what to do. If it's a fundamental fit issue, we'll say so directly — you deserve to know rather than be left wondering.
Yes — if you weren't approved because of timing or paperwork that's since been resolved, definitely. Just reapply and mention your previous application reference.