UK MINIMUM WAGE CHECKER 2026/27 · RUNS IN YOUR BROWSER · NOTHING UPLOADED
Is this worker really paid the minimum wage?
Enter one pay period: pay, hours actually worked, deductions and accommodation. You get the effective hourly rate against the National Living Wage or NMW, any shortfall, and the arrears and HMRC penalty exposure if it has been happening for several periods.
Written from the published rules without a live lookup. Rates and rules change; GOV.UK and HMRC decide. Not legal, payroll or employment advice.
Enter the details, then click Check pay.
Result
How it was worked out
Item
This period
What it does, and what it leaves to you
Covers: the 2025/26 and 2026/27 age-band rates, pay minus deductions for the employer's benefit, the accommodation offset (free and charged), hours including unpaid working time, the shortfall, six-year-style arrears at the current rate and the 200% penalty with its £20,000 cap.
Gives: a pass or fail with the effective hourly rate, the shortfall for the period, and a text file for your pay records.
Not decided: salaried-hours and output-work averaging, tips, on-call and sleep-in rules, interns and volunteers, pay-reference-period timing, whether a particular deduction is allowed, and what rate applied in earlier years. Acas, HMRC or an adviser decides these.
Common questions
What is the National Living Wage in 2026/27?
From 1 April 2026 the rate for workers aged 21 and over is £12.71 an hour, £10.85 for ages 18 to 20, and £8.00 for under-18s and apprentices. Check GOV.UK for the current rates.
Do unpaid hours count towards minimum wage?
Yes. Working time includes travel between jobs, mandatory training, waiting at work and some on-call time, so an employee paid for 35 hours who works 40 is measured over 40.
Can an employer deduct uniform or tool costs?
Deductions for the employer's benefit, such as uniform, tools or cash shortages, reduce the pay that counts, and can push an employee below the minimum even when the contract rate is above it.
What happens if I have underpaid?
You must repay arrears, using the higher of the rate then and now, and HMRC can add a penalty of 200% of arrears up to £20,000 per worker, halved if paid within 14 days, and can publicly name the employer.
Is my data uploaded anywhere?
No. Everything is calculated in your browser and nothing is sent.