Articles and information in relation to UK Payroll for business, employers and employees.
Who are the Fair Work Agency (FWA)? The Fair Work Agency (FWA) is the nations single enforcement body for major employment rights, launched on 7th April 2026. One of its opening priorities is policing and enforcement of National Minimum Wage (which also includes the Hational Kiving Wage). An area of concern are umbrella deductions and … Continue reading Minimum Wage Enforcement and Umbrella Deductions
People who have stopped receiving benefits but still refuse to repay money owed to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) could be banned from driving under sweeping new powers that have come in. Fraudsters and debtors who refuse to pay face tough new consequences including direct deductions from bank accounts, as new laws come into force. Debtors will begin receiving updated letters from Tuesday 24th June 2026, warning them to get in touch and pay up. This is part … Continue reading Driving bans for those who refuse to repay benefit debts
The Collection of Student Loans consultation group has confirmed since all the repayment thresholds for 2026/2027 have been confirmed and announced. (c)2025 PAYadvice Ltd The hierarchy setting out the applicable repayment threshold to apply when a borrower holds multiple plan types is set out in the attached plan type hierarchy matrix. (C)2025 PAYadvice Ltd New … Continue reading Multiple Student Loan Plan type hierarchy agreed
(c)2025 PAYadvice Ltd The Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves has announced on the day before her 26th November 2025 Autumn Budget the acceptance of the Low Pay Commission recommendations on increases to the National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage. These uplifts are predicted in benefit 2.7 million U.K. workers with a significant increase … Continue reading April 2026 National Minimum and Living Wage increases confirmed
As part of the October 2025 shaming list of employers who have been named and fined for National Minimum Wage regulations breaches, 11 of the 491 related to various types of deduction from wages which reduce the average pay rate below National Minimum Wage rates which act as minimum legal amounts to pay for time … Continue reading Pay deductions can cause minimum wage breaches
The Department of Business and Trade (DBT) has indicated that the largest reason for the May 2025 named employers breaching National Minimum Wage regulations was because of pay deductions. Paying National Minimum Wage is not about an employees original hourly rate, but about the rate actually received for all working time. Minister for Employment Rights, … Continue reading Deductions remain a common cause of minimum pay breach
With the significant increases to National Minimum and National Living Wage, a number of questions are being raised by employers on their options with regards to pre-existing salary sacrifice arrangement where the operation of the sacrifice now takes the employees earnings for National Minimum Wage (NMW) below the employees associated hourly NMW rate. For those … Continue reading Can I change a Salary Sacrifice to a net deduction?
What should be one of the most simplest terms in use turns out to be one of the most complicated. Much of the confusion is a result of whose point of view! For what should have such a simple meaning, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) have such a different and varying use of the term. … Continue reading When NET is not what you think!
Actions to take as an umbrella company to support compliance and best practice in the temporary labour market. Prior evidence has indicated that around 70% of umbrella organisations may have been involved in either promoting or operating tax avoidance schemes, some to public sector workforces in Health and Local Government. HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) … Continue reading Good practice umbrella companies
Promotion of salary sacrifice grocery schemes With the recent cost of living challenges and measures to improve employee retention, a number of questionable arrangements are being promoted by a small number of providers with statements such as ‘no brainer’! One such scheme being actively pushed are grocery salary sacrifice schemes. One of the promoters misleadingly … Continue reading Salary sacrifice grocery schemes! Do they work?
As part of the October 2024 Employer Bulletin, the HMRC has reminded employers of the impacts that salary sacrifice (salary exchange, smart schemes, flex benefits) have in relation to National MinimumWage regulations. Being compliant with minimum wage law is not about the starting rate of pay, but about the rate received across all working hours … Continue reading How salary sacrifice affects National Minimum Wage
The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) have published the enforcement results of National Minimum Wage (NMW) and the National Living Wage (NLW) during the 2022 to 2023 financial year The significant increases to the NMW and NLW in recent years mean a growing proportion of workers are earning within a narrow range of the NMW/NLW rates. Due to the rising … Continue reading Minimum pay enforcement results
The Department for Education on 13th August 2024 confirmed annual updates to repayment thresholds for undergraduate Income Contingent Student Loans. Income Contingent Student Loans for Plan 1 (1998-2012) undergraduate loans The repayment threshold for Plan 1 loans will rise to £26,065 from 6th April 2025 to 5th April 2026. Income Contingent Student Loans for Plan … Continue reading Student Loan Plan 1 and 2 threshold increases April 2025
Lees of Scotland are another retailer caught out by the complex National Minimum Wage regulations and their efforts to help employees via a salary deduction savings scheme which they operated for over 30 years. Well known for their manufacture of teacakes, snowballs and macaroons, Lees operated a savings scheme where its workers voluntarily paid contributions … Continue reading Minimum wage and the Payroll Savings scheme dilemma!
Do you operate salary advance schemes for your employees either directly or through an Earned Wage Access provider? As part of the HMRC July 2024 Employer Bulletin, they have published an article that relates to salary advance arrangements between an employer and an employee and revised RTI FPS obligations. These schemes (sometimes also referred to … Continue reading RTI FPS reporting salary advances relaxation
With statistics showing a drop in generosity through payroll giving over the past few challenging years, the HMRC are reminding employers within the July 2024 bulletin on the advantages available to charities, employers and employees through payroll giving (sometimes referred to as Give As You Earn). They remind us that the UK is one of … Continue reading Payroll giving – supporting charities
1st April 2024 National Minimum Wage uplift The 1st April 2024 sees the introduction of a significant uplift in the National Minimum Wage (NMW) and National Living Wage (NLW) pay rates which will benefit a significant number of employees. So when do the actual rates apply from? It is a misunderstanding of the regulations to … Continue reading Don’t be an April Fool! The Minimum Wage checklist
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) have added more tax avoidance schemes that don’t work. Bluestar Financial Solutions Limited The scheme user enters an employment contract with Bluestar Financial Solutions Limited who make composite payments to the scheme users for services provided by the user. The first element is a salary with tax and National Insurance … Continue reading HMRC names more tax avoidance schemes
As part of agent update 112 published 20th September 2023, HMRC have provided a response to a submitted question around Pay-rolled Benefits in Kind and Student Loan Deductions for borrowers in Self-Assessment. As a result of the question HMRC now confirm that for some student loan borrowers in repayment, that they were being over charged … Continue reading Overcharged Student Loan for those who Self Assess who have payrolled benefits in kind
In the August 2023, the HMRC are again reminding employers on the confusing pension scheme tax relief methods along with a warning that the employer is responsible for any resulting underpayment of tax. So PAYadvice.UK goes through their detail published and attempts to clarify and explain. The bulletin states: Tax relief on employee contributions to … Continue reading Pension Tax Relief – what are HMRC on about?
In the shaming list of 202 employers who had failed to pay minimum wage to their employees and workers, 79 (39%) breached Minimum pay requirements due to deductions from wages. HMRC published as part of the former round 16 shaming list the main reasons why failures are occurring due to these deductions and payments. Deductions … Continue reading 79 of the 202 shamed employers breached minimum pay due to wage deductions
202 businesses have been named by DBT for failing to pay the minimum wage to lowest paid workers. These employers ordered to repay workers and face penalties of nearly £7 million after breaches left 63,000 workers out of pocket. Follows on from the 9.7% increase in National Living Wage and Minimum Wage on 1st April … Continue reading 202 Employers shamed for underpaying minimum wage
Please share this message with your networks, to help raise awareness of the Help to Save scheme with those who may be eligible The governments’ Help to Save scheme for those on low incomes, has been extended until April 2025. The scheme offers a bonus of 50p for every £1 saved. Savers can deposit between … Continue reading Help to Save extended to April 2025
The Department for Business and Trade (DBT), formerly known as BEIS have issued updated information on one of their areas of responsibility in relation to employment law - National Minimum Wage. A checklist for employers The following checklist provides information on the common causes of minimum wage underpayments and links to further guidance: Making wage … Continue reading Common causes of minimum pay breach
For pay periods starting on or after Saturday 1st April 2023, the National Living Wage and Nation Minimum Wage are rising significantly. For many receiving minimum pay amounts this sees a 9.7% pay increase being applied at some point over the month of April. For those aged 21 and 22 the increase is more as … Continue reading National Minimum Wage Rise 1st April 2023
HMRC names 5 more tax avoidance schemes, as part of their crack-down on tax avoidance promoters. HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has published the details of 5 further tax avoidance schemes, including three promoted by AML Tax (UK) Limited. Last year, Doug Barrowman firm AML Tax (UK) Ltd was fined £150,000 for failing to provide HMRC … Continue reading Five more tax avoidance schemes named
The Scottish Minister for Public Finance, Planning and Community Wealth has written to the Economy and Fair Work Committee to outline his plans to bring forward proposals to uprate the earnings arrestment tables from 6th April 2023. These tables were last uprated in April 2022 and are normally uprated every three years. However, given the … Continue reading Scottish Earnings Arrestment change April 2023
Employers may need to review their reward strategies! With the proposal of the Low Pay Commission (LPC) for a significant rise in the National Living Wage (NLW) and National Minimum Wage (NMW), low paid employees are set to see rises exceeding 9%! And the future prospect of seeing the NLW starting point drop to 21 … Continue reading Significant minimum pay rise may impact employer reward strategies
From 19th September 2022, in response to feedback, employers’ with PAYE will be able to setup and take advantage of a new variable Direct Debit payment plan being introduced by HMRC. The service can be accessed through Pay employers’ PAYE or directly through the business tax account and the employers PAYE service. There will be … Continue reading PAYE new variable payment plan
The change is being considered as part of proposals that will get more of the money that is owed to the children of separated parents. The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) were involved in £1 billion of child maintenance payments during 2021, operating as a crucial weapon in the battle against child poverty. Child support payments … Continue reading Curfews for parents who fail to pay child maintenance
Do you operate a banded pension scheme using qualifying earning? Have you checked that the start and end points meet the requirements in operation for pay reference periods commencing 6th April 2022. Since the introduction of pension AE the qualifying earnings Lower Threshold has matched the National Insurance Lower Earnings Limit (LEL). Often pension schemes would … Continue reading Check your Auto Enrolment Pension scheme
New figures reveal a record £1 billion in child maintenance payments has been collected and arranged in the last 12 months to September 2021. Figures reveal: nearly 800,000 children are now covered by a child maintenance arrangementresults prove strength of vital service to separated parents and children The sum was collected and arranged on behalf … Continue reading Record £1 billion child support
Proposed changes to Scottish Earnings Arrestment tables for April 2022 have been published. Accountant in Bankruptcy (Scotland’s Insolvency Service) is expected to lay regulations in the Scottish Parliament in November which will uprate the current Diligence against Earnings tables. These tables are used to determine the amount deducted from a person’s wages if they are … Continue reading Scottish Earnings Arrestment changes April 2022
True Financial wellbeing in the workplace “Financial wellbeing is about feeling secure and in control of your money. It is knowing that you can pay the bills today, can deal with the unexpected, and are on track for a healthy financial future. In short: feeling confident and empowered.” The Money and Pensions Service (MaPS) is … Continue reading Payroll-deducted saving schemes
Government names and shames 191 employers who have underpaid workers, including major household namesnamed firms have been fined for owing £2.1 million to over 34,000 workersBusiness Minister Paul Scully: “Employers that short-change workers won’t get off lightly” Thursday 5th August 2021 - 191 businesses are being named for breaking national minimum wage law. Following investigations … Continue reading Minimum wage law breaker Employers ‘named and shamed’
Last year, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) helped more than 150,000 workers who were paid under the minimum wage and is reminding seasonal summer staff to check their pay. HMRC are reminding Students and seasonal staff to check that they are being paid at least the National Minimum Wage (NMW). All workers are legally entitled … Continue reading Summer job? Check: your hourly rate, any deductions or unpaid time.
The Covid-19 pandemic has left low-paid workers more vulnerable and businesses under greater pressure than ever before. This increases the risk of minimum wage underpayment and demands a proactive and strategic response from the Government. These are the conclusions of a report into compliance and enforcement of the National Minimum Wage (NMW), published 11th May … Continue reading Low Pay Commission publish their report on National Minimum Wage enforcement
HMRC have published further guidance (29th April 2021) to clarify the position on agency and contractors who are employees of umbrella organisations. Working through an umbrella company Those employed by umbrellas can find out about how and what they will be paid if they are an agency worker or contractor and work through an umbrella … Continue reading HMRC publish guidance for those employed by umbrellas
BEIS and HMRC held a Joint National Minimum Wage (NMW) virtual Stakeholder Forum on 29th April 2021 with employer and Minimum pay industry experts. They have kindly shared the presentation slides from the day. The government department responsible for employment law including National Minimum Wage is the Department for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS). … Continue reading BEIS-HMRC Joint National Minimum Wage Stakeholder Forum