Updated October 2026
April 2026 NMW rates — travel time compliance

Travel Time Pay Checker

Not all travel time is working time — but some of it legally must be paid at the National Minimum Wage. Enter your details to check whether your effective hourly rate still meets the law.

£
✓ Legally Counted as Working Time: You MUST be paid at least minimum wage for these hours.

Unpaid Travel Wages Value

£63.55 / week

Weekly Value

£63.55

Annual Value

£3,305

Hourly Rate

£12.71/hr

Legal Status

Paid Work Time

HMRC Travel & Working Time Rules:

  • Travel Between Clients/Sites: Care workers and field technicians travelling between client visits MUST be paid at least NMW for travel time.
  • Normal Commute Exception: Travelling between home and your fixed, permanent place of work does NOT count as working time.
  • No Fixed Base (Tyco Ruling): If you have no fixed workplace, travel from home to your first client and from the last client back home IS working time.

Which Travel Counts as Working Time?

The table below summarises the rules under the National Minimum Wage Regulations 2015 as applied to April 2026 rates.

Situation Counts? Notes
Travelling between clients or job sites during the working day YES Core rule — must be paid at NMW
Sent by employer to a different site or location YES Employer-directed travel counts
On-call travel to an emergency or call-out YES From point of call-out to arrival
Regular commute from home to fixed workplace NO Ordinary commuting — does not count
Travel home from the last client or site of the day NO Equivalent to ordinary commuting
Choosing to travel to a different office (not required) NO Voluntary travel — not working time

Who Is Most Affected?

The Fair Work Agency identifies these sectors as highest-risk for unpaid travel time violations:

🏥

Domiciliary care workers

Visiting multiple clients at home throughout the day. Travel between every appointment must be paid at NMW. This is the most frequently investigated sector.

🧹

Cleaning and facilities workers

Mobile cleaners moving between offices or properties. Any inter-site travel during the shift must be counted as working time.

📦

Delivery and courier drivers

Where the delivery round starts away from home. Travel from a depot or to the first drop-off point at employer's direction generally counts.

🔧

Mobile engineers and tradespeople

Field technicians, gas engineers, plumbers and electricians sent by their employer to different sites each day.

What to Do If You Are Being Underpaid for Travel

  1. 1

    Keep a record of all travel time

    Note the start and end time of every trip between clients or sites. This forms the basis of any claim.

  2. 2

    Raise it informally with your employer first

    Many employers are unaware of the rule. Put your concern in writing (email is fine) so you have a paper trail.

  3. 3

    Report to the Fair Work Agency

    Reports are anonymous. The agency investigates and can recover arrears on your behalf, plus fine your employer up to 200% of what is owed. Report at gov.uk/pay-and-work-rights.

  4. 4

    Contact ACAS or an employment solicitor

    ACAS provides free, confidential advice: acas.org.uk or 0300 123 1100. You can also bring a claim at an Employment Tribunal within 3 months of the last underpayment.

Related Calculators

Minimum Wage Arrears Calculator Minimum Wage Checker Zero-Hours Contract Calculator NMW Violation Guide

Frequently Asked Questions

No. Travelling from your home to your fixed, regular workplace is ordinary commuting and does not count as working time for National Minimum Wage purposes. Only travel that forms part of your duties — such as moving between clients or sites during the working day — must be counted and paid at NMW.
Yes. Travel between clients during your shift is working time and must be paid at the National Minimum Wage. This is one of the most common NMW violations in the UK. If your employer pays a flat travel allowance that does not cover this time at NMW rates, they are breaking the law. The Fair Work Agency actively investigates the care sector for this breach.
No. The test is always whether your total pay divided by your total qualifying working hours (including paid travel time) meets the minimum wage for your age band. A flat allowance that brings your effective hourly rate below the minimum is unlawful, regardless of how it is labelled. You are entitled to the difference in back pay.
Travel you choose to make of your own volition — such as deciding to work from a different office when you could work from your usual place — does not count as working time for NMW. The key question is whether your employer required or directed the travel. If the answer is no, it falls outside the rules.
Add all hours that count as working time (including qualifying travel) to get your total paid hours. Divide your gross weekly pay by that total. If the result is below the NMW for your age band, you are being underpaid. For example: £500 gross pay ÷ 40 hours (38 paid work + 2 qualifying travel) = £12.50/hr. If you are 21+, the minimum is £12.71/hr, so you are being underpaid by £0.21/hr.

About this guide

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