‘Check your payslip is correct’ alert after minimum wage rise | Personal Finance | Finance
With the new minimum wage rates in place for almost a month, people have been urged to check their payslips and ensure they are being paid correctly. Employers must: update your records and make payments people accordingly.
The National Minimum Wage is calculated on an hourly basis, but applies to all eligible workers even if they are not paid by the hour. This means that no matter how much someone is paid, they still need to calculate the equivalent hourly wage to see if they are making minimum wage.
From April 1, people and their employers should be aware of the big change that will see their bank balances increase as people become entitled to a better minimum wage.
What is the new National Minimum Wage in 2026?
HMRC recently published that the National Minimum Wage in X is increasing from 1 April 2026. Anyone working in roles that pay this rate should see an increase in basic hourly pay as follows:
Apprentices are eligible for apprenticeship pay if they are under the age of 19 or over the age of 19 and have not completed the first year of their apprenticeship. After the one-year mark, payment must be made according to age (for example, if an apprentice is 21 or over, a minimum of £12.71 per hour must be paid from the second year onwards).
If you are already paid above the new National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage, your employer is not legally required to increase your pay. Pay increases for those above minimum wage depend on company policy and are often at the discretion of the individual’s job performance.
How can you check if the payment has been made correctly?
People can find out if they are being paid correctly by using the National Minimum Wage and Living Wage calculator on the GOV.UK website. People don’t need any special documents, but they do need to know a few important details.
The tool asks people about their typical working hours and how often they get paid. It also takes into account whether employers take care of things like housing or other business expenses. See the calculator here.
GOV.UK says people should act accordingly if they are underpaid. A statement on the official website reads: “If your payslip is incorrect, immediately check for unauthorized deductions, incorrect hours or tax errors, then informally contact your employer’s HR or payroll department to request correction. If they do not correct it quickly, formally file a complaint, collect evidence of hours worked or contact the Wages and Employment Rights helpline.”
