Reply to: Clarity Umbrella - what's going on?

[Ketto]

It feels a bit like when Contractor Umbrella
got bought out a few years back, lots of us used to recommemd them prior to that that and before Clarity was set up.

Based on this thread (and the lack of any detailed responses to questions raised) i don’t think anyone sensible would currently engage with Clarity going forward. I say that as a previous user and someone who is potentially in need of a brolly in January, who would have previously seen them as the preferred choice.

[jamesbrown]

I for one have no doubts regarding Lucy’s integrity, we will have to see whether this continues with Clarity now that she is no longer the owner. I am confident however that this will continue while she is with the company.

That's fair. FWIW, I agree that Lucy has built a well-deserved reputation in the contracting community, which was surely the basis for Clarity's success as a very small umbrella, not on many PSLs - Clarity is Lucy, let's be honest. Many of Clarity's umbrella employees were recommended to them, I would guess. I have always recommended Clarity, personally. I doubt a single person in this thread is (or should be) questioning Lucy's integrity.

On the other hand, I think Lucy's contribution to this thread, followed by FCSA removal, has probably done the opposite of allaying fears. If Clarity's umbrella employees were not made aware of this change, I think that is a little curious too. Also, given that Lucy is no longer a person of significant control, she could quite easily depart at very short notice and I think those concerns would suddenly go to 11. Overall, something doesn't smell right - at the very least there is some cackhandedness, albeit partly understandable with the fallout from Chapter 11. Until the FCSA situation is explained/reversed, those concerns are not going to disappear, though.

[Protagoras]

If true, some updates needed here:

https://clarityumbrella.co.uk/about-...ny-compliance/

And no sign of any updates ...

[cojak]

And to not have it in these circumstances i.e. unannounced ownership change, move to offshore, loss of FCSA accreditation, getting flamed on main IT contractor forum with virtually no response. I wouldn’t use them again based on this and as things stand wouldn’t be able to do my usual “try Clarity” line whenever someone asks me for brolly recommendation. Such a shame.

I don’t believe that flaming has been going on, questions have been asked. Again it’s not unreasonable as Lucy and Clarity pre-May have rightly been recommended by people (myself included) who have used them and this news has just surfaced.

I for one have no doubts regarding Lucy’s integrity, we will have to see whether this continues with Clarity now that she is no longer the owner. I am confident however that this will continue while she is with the company.

[Ketto]

I note some shenanigans here:

https://find-and-update.company-info...filing-history

Something definitely doesn't smell right...

Filed accounts 29th Oct 2025, compulsory strike off notice 4th Nov 2025, compulsory strike off discontinued 5th Nov 2025. Doesn't look very stable.

[agentzero]

That was my feeling when I checked Companies House for QUITRON HOLDING LTD, a sinking feeling.

Remember that a lot of umbrella company users will be working on government projects with SC, DV, eDV clearances. PSR and any agencies working with them can't take the risk of paying umbrella companies based offshore, particularly in jurisdictions linked to Russia, like Cyprus.

[jamesbrown]

Curious if they've been removed from the FCSA register. Perhaps pending enquiries. Lucy?

If true, some updates needed here:

https://clarityumbrella.co.uk/about-...ny-compliance/

I don't believe UK ownership is a prerequisite for FCSA membership, and Clarity remains a UK company, but the umbrella company should not be based offshore. I recall some furore about the FCSA charter w/r to whether it allowed scummy offshore tax dodging umbrellas to become members, at which point they updated their charter to specifically clarify that it didn't, but that is different from foreign ownership. My guess is that this is either pending enquiries or something else is going on. I note some shenanigans here:

https://find-and-update.company-info...filing-history

Something definitely doesn't smell right...

[malvolio]

Chris Bryce Any chance of a statement?

Unlikely, but they have been removed from the FCSA's register. ISTR the FCSA requirements excluded non-UK ownership

[Nothing to see here]

Chris Bryce Any chance of a statement?

[Ketto]

And to not have it in these circumstances i.e. unannounced ownership change, move to offshore, loss of FCSA accreditation, getting flamed on main IT contractor forum with virtually no response. I wouldn’t use them again based on this and as things stand wouldn’t be able to do my usual “try Clarity” line whenever someone asks me for brolly recommendation. Such a shame.

[Protagoras]

I think that there's one assumption that could reasonably be made; where an umbrella company lacks FCSA accreditation it will be a challenge to attract new customers.

[agentzero]

I found out about Clarity from one of my accountants. I work abroad often and have different accountants for different contracts, as one includes a tax cross border tax accountant.

The FCSA has contacted big agencies to tell them about the removal of Clarity and other linked umbrellas from their FCSA membership scheme. All I know is that these agencies told both accounting firms I use, because they both told me. I had recommended using Clarity based on views and Lucy's posts here. So I don't use them but know people who do and therefore feel some responsibility. The trusting responses in this thread I have found weird and am on the side of the responses echoing loss of trust.

HTH

[WTFH]

Never used any previous usernames. Used VPN endpoints from a well known VPN provider, do a DNS lookup to confirm this with the IPs you suggest, it's mostly an IT contractor forum after all.

As mentioned in the "state of the market" thread, I work outside contracts only, never via an agent, and don't work inside ir35. That's why my username is agentzero.

Slightly odd that someone who claims to work outside contracts only with your claimed experience is using an umbrella company and not working through their own Ltd.

[agentzero]

Never used any previous usernames. Used VPN endpoints from a well known VPN provider, do a DNS lookup to confirm this with the IPs you suggest, it's mostly an IT contractor forum after all.

As mentioned in the "state of the market" thread, I work outside contracts only, never via an agent, and don't work inside ir35. That's why my username is agentzero.

[WTFH]

Look at my posting history.

Do we include the other usernames you have used in the past?