Minimum Wage Arrears Checker
Updated November 2026 · Free · No sign-up
Check for minimum wage underpayment — the April 2026 rates (NLW £12.71), and the hidden breaches: unpaid trial shifts, security queues, uniform costs, till shortage deductions, and sleep-in rules.
Quick answer: From April 2026: NLW (21+) £12.71, 18-20 £10.85, under-18/apprentice £8.00. The test: total pay ÷ TOTAL working time in each pay reference period ≥ the rate — unpaid minutes (opening/closing, bag checks, travel between assignments) and uniform/equipment costs routinely tip compliant-looking payslips into arrears.
The Real Test
(Pay − illegitimate deductions/costs) ÷ ALL working time ≥ the rate, per pay reference period. "Working time" sweeps in what payslips ignore:
| Unpaid extras | Pre-shift setup, handovers, security/bag-check queues, mandatory training, travel BETWEEN assignments (not commuting) |
| Cost deductions | Uniforms, tools, DBS checks, till shortages — anything for the employer’s benefit reduces NMW pay |
| Accommodation | Only the accommodation offset (~£10.66/day — verify current) counts; higher rent charges breach |
| What doesn’t count UP | Tips (never count toward NMW), premium elements of OT rates, most benefits in kind |
Worked Example
£1,100 for 86 paid hours looks like £12.79 ✓. Add 6 unpaid setup/queue hours and £45 of uniform: (1,100 − 45) ÷ 92 = £11.47 — breach, arrears ≈ £114 per period, repeating every period since. HMRC enforces at CURRENT rates for historic arrears, plus up to 200% penalties and public naming — workers claim via the free HMRC complaint route or tribunal.
What To Do
Keep your own time records (door codes, rotas, messages); complain via HMRC’s online NMW form (anonymous option, no cost, no tribunal deadline) or ACAS/tribunal within the deduction windows. Sector patterns: hospitality uniforms, care-sector travel time and sleep-ins (the Mencap rules: sleep-in hours count only when awake for work), retail bag checks — all repeatedly named in HMRC’s enforcement rounds. Rates change each April: the main NMW page tracks them.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the UK minimum wage rates?
From April 2026: £12.71 (21+ NLW), £10.85 (18-20), £8.00 (under-18s and apprentices) — reviewed every April; verify current at gov.uk.
What counts as working time for NMW?
All time at the employer’s disposal: setup, handovers, security queues, mandatory training, travel between assignments — paid or not.
Do uniform costs breach minimum wage?
Costs you bear for the employer’s benefit (uniform, tools, checks) subtract from NMW pay — a common breach at near-minimum rates.
Do tips count toward minimum wage?
No — never, since 2009; base pay alone must clear the floor (and the Tipping Act governs the tips themselves).
How do I claim arrears?
HMRC’s free NMW complaint (anonymous option, arrears repaid at current rates + employer penalties) or tribunal/unlawful-deduction routes — keep your own time evidence.
✓ Formula verified • Last updated: November 3, 2026