Minimum wage

If you're getting paid by the hour you are protected by laws that set a National Minimum Wage (NMW) across the UK. This is to ensure your employers aren't taking you for a ride, so take a look below and make certain you're getting paid what you deserve.

Is the minimum wage fair for you?

Do you know what the minimum wage pay rates are and what to do if you aren't getting it?

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"Get paid what you deserve."

What's the current minimum wage in the UK?

From 1 October 2009, the minimum wage is:

£5.80 per hour for those aged 22 or over
£4.83 per hour for those aged 18–21
£3.57 per hour for those aged 16–17

The Low Pay Commission reviews the minimum wage each year, so be aware it could go up, or even down.

I'm being paid less than the minimum wage! What can I do?

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is responsible for ensuring employers pay their workers properly. If you think you're being ripped off the first move should be a visit to the complaints page of the HMRC website. In order to launch complaint proceedings, HMRC will ask you to give details to an investigator, so make sure you're prepared to do this.

If you wish to take your case to an employment tribunal you need to act fast, as you only have three months from the last time you were paid below the minimum wage. First, you need to make a complaint to your employer. If you do this within three months the timescale for the tribunal will be extended to six months.

For more advice on getting paid what you deserve, read the advice on The Citizen's Advice Bureau (CAB) website.

I've been told I'm not eligible for the minimum wage – why?

There are some workers who are not eligible for the minimum wage. These are:

Self-employed people
Company directors
Apprentices under the age of 19
Apprentices on certain government schemes at pre-apprenticeship level
Some government employment programmes designed to provide training or work experience
European Community Leonardo Da Vinci programme or Youth in Action Programme participants
People doing work experience if it lasts less than a year
If you're a member of the employer's family, live at home and help with family chores
People living in their employer's household – e.g. nannies and au pairs
People who do odd jobs for friends or neighbours
Members of the armed forces
Share fishermen
Prisoners or detained immigrants working in a removal centre
Volunteers and voluntary workers
People living in religious or other types of community

By Emma Rubach

Updated:12/08/2010

Did you know?

The National Minimum Wage was introduced in the UK in 1999 – unfortunately, that doesn't mean all employers play by the rules.

According to the Office of National Statistics (ONS), in 2008 there were 288,000 jobs in the UK which paid less than the NMW.

People in part-time work are twice as likely to earn less than the NMW.

Of this group, women were more likely to be in jobs that pay less than the NMW, because more women work part-time.

The good news is that changes brought in by the Employment Act 2008 mean that from April 2009, employers face a penalty if HMRC discover they have failed to pay workers the minimum wage. Workers will be entitled to have backdated wages repaid at current rates. The Act also gives HMRC officers new inspection powers.

Jargon Buster

HMRC:: Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs is the government body responsible for enforcing tax laws and border control.
CAB:: Citizen's Advice Bureau helps people resolve their legal, money and other problems by providing free information and advice, and by influencing policy makers.
Employment Tribunal:: An independent body that tries to resolve disputes between employers and employees.
Self-employed:: This means you work for yourself and are responsible for sorting out your own tax affairs, rather than being paid through Pay As You Earn (PAYE).

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Find out whether you're being paid correctly –if you're earning an hourly rate this should be on your pay slip.
If you think something might be wrong with your pay packet, talk to your employer first – they may just have made a mistake.
If you're still not happy, it's time to complain to HMRC. If you decide to complain, make sure you visit the CAB website first to find out what your rights are.

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