How far back can I claim minimum wage arrears?

The Fair Work Agency can recover up to 6 years of NMW underpayment from an employer. If you bring an Employment Tribunal claim directly, you must do so within 3 months of the last underpayment (or the most recent in a series).

Can my employer be fined for underpaying me?

Yes. Employers who fail to pay the National Minimum Wage face a financial penalty of up to 200% of the arrears owed, in addition to repaying all arrears. Repeat offenders can be publicly named by the government.

Do arrears include overtime hours?

Yes. Every hour you worked — including overtime — must be assessed against the NMW rate for your age band at the time. If your effective hourly rate fell below NMW for any hours, those are included in your arrears calculation.

What rate applies to historical underpayments?

The NMW rate that applied at the time of the underpayment is used, not the current rate. So if you were underpaid in 2024, the 2024 rate applies to those weeks — not the April 2026 rate.

Updated September 2026

Reviewed by Experts

April 2026 rates — claim up to 6 years back

Minimum Wage Arrears Calculator UK 2026 | Backpay Checker

Name: Minimum Wage Arrears Calculator 2026 | Calculate Backpay
Author: UKMinimumWage.co.uk

Key takeaway: If your employer pays you below the statutory minimum wage (£12.71/hr from April 2026), HMRC and the Fair Work Agency can recover up to 6 years of backpay. Employers who fail to pay face mandatory penalties of up to 200% of arrears plus public naming.

Check your minimum wage backpay entitlement. Enter your age band, actual pay, and hours worked to calculate what your employer legally owes you.

Select Tax Year of Underpayment

Worker Age Band

What You Were Paid (£/hr)

Hours Worked Per Week

Weeks Underpaid

⚠️ Total backpay owed to you: £2,298.40.

Total Arrears Owed

£2,298.40

Statutory Rate

£12.71/hr

Your Paid Rate

£10.50/hr

Hourly Shortfall

£2.21/hr

Weekly Shortfall

£88.40/wk

HMRC Backpay & Arrears Formula:

Current Rate Rule: If backpay is repaid late, HMRC requires arrears to be calculated using the current year's higher NMW rate (Section 17 of NMW Act 1998).
6-Year Time Limit: In England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, you can claim backpay for up to 6 years (5 years in Scotland).
HMRC Penalties: Employers who fail to repay face HMRC fines of up to 200% of the total arrears.

How to Reclaim Your Wages & Report to HMRC →

What happens next?

If the calculator shows you are owed money, you can report the underpayment to the Fair Work Agency confidentially via gov.uk. The Agency can require your employer to repay 200% of the arrears as a penalty. You can also bring a claim at an Employment Tribunal within 3 months of the last underpayment. See our NMW Violation Guide.

Important note on older underpayments

The calculator above uses the current April 2026 rate. If you were underpaid in a previous year, the minimum rate for that period was lower. The Fair Work Agency applies the rate that was in force at the time of underpayment. This calculator is a guide — for older cases use the historical rates table.

About this guide

This calculator is maintained by UKMinimumWage.co.uk using published GOV.UK rates for 2026/27. Last updated August 2026. This site is not HMRC-endorsed.