National Minimum Wage Checker, 2026/27

How this is calculated

This checker first determines the correct minimum wage band from the worker's age and apprenticeship status, then compares the hourly rate actually paid against that legal minimum, flagging a clear compliant or underpaid result along with any weekly shortfall in pounds.

The band logic follows HMRC's own hierarchy: apprentices under 19, or 19-plus in their first year of the apprenticeship, are always on the apprentice rate of £8.00, regardless of what their age band would otherwise suggest, which is a common source of confusion for employers.

This is a screening tool for a straightforward hourly-paid arrangement; salaried staff, output-based pay and unmeasured work arrangements have their own specific minimum wage calculation methods set out in HMRC guidance, which this simple rate comparison does not replace.

What to check beyond the headline rate

A pay rate that clears the minimum on paper can still fail a compliance check once unpaid working time, salary sacrifice deductions, or charges the worker must pay back to the employer (such as for a uniform) are taken into account, since these reduce the pay actually counted for minimum wage purposes.

It is also worth checking rates at least twice a year: once around the annual 1 April increase, and again whenever a worker crosses an age threshold, such as turning 18 or 21, since pay must rise from the date of the birthday, not the next scheduled pay review.

Building a simple compliance habit

Many small underpayments happen not through deliberate underpayment but through payroll simply not being updated for a birthday or a rate change; a short annual review comparing every worker's effective hourly rate against the current bands is a low-cost way to catch this early.

Where this checker flags an underpayment, treat it as a starting point for a fuller review rather than a final answer, since arrears must be calculated using the current minimum wage rate and covering the whole period the underpayment ran, which is usually more involved than a single pay period comparison.

How do I know which minimum wage band applies to an employee?

It depends on age and apprenticeship status: apprentices under 19 or in their first year always use the apprentice rate; otherwise the rate is set by age band, rising to the National Living Wage rate at 21.

What if a worker's rate was correct last year but not this year?

Minimum wage rates rise each 1 April, so a rate that was compliant last year can fall below the new minimum without the employer changing anything, which is why annual rechecking matters.

Does this checker cover salaried or piece-rate workers?

No, it assumes a simple hourly-paid arrangement. Salaried and output-based pay use separate calculation methods under National Minimum Wage regulations that this simple check does not replicate.

What should I do if this shows an underpayment?

Treat it as a prompt to review the full period of the underpayment, recalculate arrears at current minimum wage rates, and pay them promptly, since HMRC penalties are more severe the longer a known underpayment goes uncorrected.