National Minimum Wage rise hits payslips
· National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage increase puts more money in the pockets of 220,000 of the lowest paid workers in Scotland.
· Real terms pay rise will boost wages by £1,400 per year for an eligible full-time worker, boosting living standards and kickstarting growth as part of the Plan for Change.
· Visit Check Your Pay to make sure you don’t miss out.
Up to 220,000 workers in Scotland have started to receive boosted payslips as workers begin to see the benefits of the new National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage rates taking effect.
The changes will help provide families with better financial stability and living standards, delivering real terms pay increase of £1,400 per year for eligible full-time workers, supporting the Government’s plan to kickstart growth as part of the Plan for Change.
This uplift delivers better financial security for working people and allows for further workers to potentially benefit from positive spill-over impacts including possible wage increases for those already earning more than the legal minimum.
Employment Rights Minister Justin Madders said: “Workers across the country are beginning to receive the much-needed boost to their pay slips, as our Plan for Change is putting more money into their pockets.
“By ensuring a hard day’s work is rewarded with a fair day’s pay, we’re raising living standards millions of families and ensuring that everyone is a part of this government’s mission to deliver economic growth to every part of the UK.
“If you haven’t already, check your pay to ensure you aren’t missing out on a well-deserved pay rise for work done from 1st April.”
To ensure workers were fairly compensated, for the first time this Government instructed the Low Pay Commission, the body which recommends the wage rates, to include the cost of living and inflation in its assessment.
On top of this, the Employment Rights Bill, a key pillar in the Plan to Make Work Pay, will release an additional £600 a year to some of the lowest paid workers. This will ensure that these workers get receive an uplift to wages that delivers better quality of life.
Workers in Scotland have earned this pay rise and they need to make sure they get it. Visit gov.uk/checkyourpay to check if you are eligible.
The full increases from 1 April this year were:
o National Living Wage (21+) has increased 6.7%, from £11.44 to £12.21 per hour
o National Minimum Wage (18-20) has a record increase of 16.2%, from £8.60 to £10 per hour
o National Minimum Wage (under 18) has increased 18%, to £7.55 per hour
o Apprentice Rate has the largest increase of 18%, from £6.40 to £7.55 per hour
o Accommodation Offset of £10.66 per day
· The Accommodation Offset is the maximum daily amount which an employer can charge without it amounting to a reduction of pay for National Minimum Wage purposes.
· If someone is concerned that they’re not being paid the correct wage, they should speak to their employer. If the problem is not resolved, they can contact Acas (the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service) by phoning 0300 123 1122, or complain to HMRC in confidence using the link www.gov.uk/minimum-wage-complaint. HMRC looks into every single complaint.
· You can find out more about the minimum wage, and whether you’re receiving what you’re entitled to:
o Check your pay – Check your pay
· You can report possible underpayment of the National Minimum Wage to the ACAS Helpline and also online to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC):
o https://www.gov.uk/pay-and-work-rights
o https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pay-and-work-rights-complaints