Half a dollar, note, is not a lot to pay (4)

I believe the answer is:

dole

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'not a lot to pay' is the definition.
I can't judge whether this defines the answer.

'half a dollar note' is the wordplay.
'half a' suggests halving the letters.
'note' becomes 'e' (musical note).
'dollar' halved is 'dol'.
'dol'+'e'='DOLE'

'is' is the link.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for dole that I've seen before include "State assistance" , "Dish (out sparingly)" , "Unemployment benefit (sl.)" , "Unemployment pay" , "Kansas senator and 1996 presidential candidate, Bob" .)

I've seen this clue in the Evening Standard.

Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.