Work out whether pay meets the UK National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage using the rates effective from 1 April 2026. Enter your age, apprentice status, pay for the period and hours worked to compare your effective hourly rate with the legal minimum.
This checker uses headline minimum wage rates from 1 April 2026: GBP 12.71 for age 21+, GBP 10.85 for age 18-20, and GBP 8.00 for age 16-17 and the apprentice rate. It is a practical screening tool, not payroll or legal advice. Some deductions, unpaid working time, accommodation offset rules and salary sacrifice arrangements can change the compliance calculation.
This tool divides pay for the period by hours worked to estimate an effective hourly rate, then compares it against the correct 2026 minimum wage band for your age and apprentice status.
It is useful for employees, apprentices, parents, line managers and small business owners who want a quick sense check. If a weekly or monthly payslip feels low, this tool shows the hourly equivalent and highlights the size of any possible gap.
If the result looks short, keep payslips, note actual hours worked and ask payroll how the figure was calculated. For a formal dispute or complaint, use GOV.UK or ACAS guidance because minimum wage cases depend on how working time and deductions are treated in real life.