Workers’ rights in the UK: pay, payslips, and what to do if you are not paid

This page tells you what the law says you must be paid in the UK, what your payslip has to show, and what to do when you are not paid. Every figure comes from GOV.UK and the date we checked it is at the foot of the page. The rates change every April — if that date looks old, open the source before you rely on the number.

What you must be paid

The UK minimum depends on your age, not on your job. For workers aged 21 and over it is called the National Living Wage; below that it is the National Minimum Wage. These are the rates that apply from April 2026:

The rates change on 1 April every year. Two things about the apprentice rate catch people out: it only applies if you are under 19, or 19 and over and in the first year of the apprenticeship. An apprentice aged 21 who has finished the first year is entitled to the full £12.71 — GOV.UK gives exactly that example.

These are minimums, not targets. If your contract or your agency promised more, the higher figure is what you are owed.

Your payslip — and what it must show

Your employer must give you a payslip, and it must arrive on or before payday. It can be paper or electronic. By law it has to show:

• your earnings before and after any deductions;
• the amount of each deduction that changes from month to month — tax and National Insurance;
• the number of hours you worked, if your pay varies with the time you work.

That last line matters more than any other for hourly work. If your hours change week to week and the payslip does not show them, that is not a formatting choice — it is a legal requirement that is not being met.

Payslips are also proof of your earnings and the tax you paid. Keep them.

Check the arithmetic yourself

You do not have to take anyone’s word for whether you were paid correctly. GOV.UK runs a free minimum wage calculator: put in your age, your hours and what you were paid, and it tells you whether the amount was lawful. Do that before you accept an explanation.

Watch for deductions that quietly take you under the minimum — money taken for accommodation, uniforms, tools or transport can do exactly that.

If you are not paid

Acas gives free and confidential advice on pay and employment rights to anyone — worker or employer. The helpline is 0300 123 1100, Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm, and it has a free translation service in over 100 languages. You do not have to explain your situation in English.

If the complaint is specifically that you were paid below the National Minimum Wage, it goes to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) through the GOV.UK complaint route. Complaints about employment agencies, or about agency workers in agriculture, horticulture and shellfish gathering, go to the Fair Work Agency.

Where to get free help

• Acas helpline and complaints — GOV.UK — the free helpline, and the routes a complaint takes.
• Acas advice — written guidance on pay, hours, holiday and disputes.
• Check if you are getting the minimum wage — the official calculator.
• Make a pay and work rights complaint — the official complaint route.