Deductions, hours and complaints
Report minimum wage underpayment: the steps in order
Independent site, not HMRC or the Fair Work Agency. Complaints go to the official services named on this page.
Start by putting one pay period through the checker: it shows the pay that counts, the rate for your age and the exact shortfall to quote.
Paid at least the minimum wage
£52.00
an hour counted, against a minimum of £12.71
| Rate that applies | National Living Wage (21 and over) |
| Rates in force | April 2026 to March 2027 |
| Minimum for 37.50 hours | £476.63 |
| Pay that counts | £1,950 |
| Same pay from 1 April 2027 | still enough |
Rule applied: National Minimum Wage Regulations 2015, as HMRC explains them in its guidance on calculating the minimum wage. An estimate from what you enter, not a decision by HMRC or a tribunal.
If you are paid less than the minimum wage, you can recover the money even after you have left the job. Start by checking one pay period: the pay that counts, divided by the hours worked, must reach £12.71 an hour at 21 and over, £10.85 at 18 to 20 or £8.00 at 16 and 17 and on the apprentice rate from 1 April 2026. Then gather payslips and a record of your hours and raise the shortfall with your employer in writing. If you think you were underpaid, you can ask in writing to see your pay records; the employer has 14 days, and a refusal can lead a tribunal to award you 80 times the hourly minimum, £1,016.80 at the National Living Wage. The free Acas helpline on 0300 123 1100 gives confidential advice. The official route is the pay and work rights complaint form: HMRC investigates, and you can ask it not to tell the employer who complained. You can also bring an employment tribunal claim yourself, but then HMRC can no longer act for you. Dismissing you for asserting the right is unlawful.
Back pay owed for an underpayment
Owed if repaid now
£260.24
| Rate at the time | £12.21 |
| Rate today for that band | £12.71 |
| Owed if repaid from 1 April 2027 | £270.48 |
Underpayment ÷ rate at the time × current rate of the band you were in. Enter the age you were then.
Rates and rules read by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method
This site is an independent calculator. It does not take complaints, contact employers or act for you: each step below is carried out by you, with the public bodies named.
Step 1: work out the shortfall
Use the checker at the top for each pay period you think was short. Enter the gross pay, all the hours that count, including briefings, training and travel between jobs, and any uniform costs, tips or premiums. The result gives the pay that counts per hour and the exact amount missing. A precise figure, period by period, makes every later step easier. The tool under the summary turns an old shortfall into what is owed today.
Step 2: gather your evidence
- Payslips, or bank statements showing what was paid and when.
- Your contract, offer letter or any message setting out your pay and hours.
- Rotas, clocking records, messages asking you to come in early or stay late.
- Your own diary of start and finish times, breaks, journeys and training.
- Receipts for uniform, tools or training you paid for.
Step 3: raise it with your employer in writing
Some shortfalls are plain mistakes; HMRC names the apprentice rate kept after a worker aged 19 or over finishes the first year as a common one, and a rate rise or birthday can be missed in the same way. Write a short, factual message stating the pay periods, the hours, the rate you should have received and the amount you calculate is owed, and keep a copy. Asking for the minimum wage is protected: an employer that dismisses you or treats you badly for trying to get it paid can be taken to a tribunal.
Step 4: ask to see your pay records
Employers must keep records showing that each worker received at least the minimum wage in every pay period, and keep them for 6 years. If you have reasonable grounds to believe you were underpaid, you can ask in writing to see your records. The employer must produce them within 14 days or a time you agree, at your workplace or a place you can reasonably reach. You may copy them and bring someone with you if you say so in your request. If the employer refuses or fails to produce them, a tribunal that upholds your complaint awards you 80 times the hourly minimum, which is £1,016.80 at the April 2026 National Living Wage.
Step 5: call the Acas helpline
Acas gives free, impartial and confidential advice on 0300 123 1100, Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm, with a free translation service. You can also report a suspected underpayment through it; complex cases are passed to HMRC's minimum wage team. Contact details are on the Acas helpline page.
Step 6: use the official complaint form
The pay and work rights complaint form on GOV.UK goes to HMRC, which enforces the minimum wage on behalf of the Fair Work Agency. Points to know before you send it:
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Can I use it after leaving the job? | Yes |
| Can I stay anonymous towards the employer? | You can ask HMRC not to give the employer information about who complained |
| Can someone complain for me? | Yes, with your permission |
| Can I use it if I already went to a tribunal? | No, not for the same minimum wage issue |
| Is it available in Welsh? | Yes, on request to HMRC |
If HMRC finds an underpayment, it can serve a notice requiring the employer to pay arrears to each worker named and a penalty, as the penalties page explains.
Step 7: an employment tribunal or a civil claim
You can instead claim the money yourself at an employment tribunal, or in a civil court. In both, the employer has to prove it paid the minimum wage. For a tribunal you must notify Acas first for early conciliation, which is free; the time limit is paused during conciliation and you have at least 1 month left after the certificate. The limit is usually 6 months if the problem happened on or after 1 October 2026 and 3 months if before; for deductions from pay it runs from the date you were not paid correctly. A civil court claim can go back up to 6 years. The GOV.UK tribunal page has the claim process, and the arrears page shows how the amount is uplifted.