MILLIONS of workers have been urged to check their payslips after a fresh salary boost worth £1,600.
Earlier this month the 10% hike saw the national living wage increase from £9.50 to £10.42 an hour.
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The national increase was first announced last year by Chancellor Jeremy Hunt.
People on the national living wage will see their pay packets rise by 92p which means an additional £32.20 a week and £1,674.40 a year.
More than 2.5million Brits will get the increase.
But HMRC has urged people to check if they received the extra cash from their boss.
A spokesperson said: “Did you know the National Living and Minimum Wage rates increased on April 1?
“Check that you’ve been paid the correct amount by your employer.”
Workers can make this easy check on the gov.uk website by heading over to the “Check your pay” page.
From there simply check the section that applies to you and make sure you have been paid the new rate for your age group.
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There is also a separate page for information on what to do if you think you’re not being paid the correct amount.
If you’re being underpaid or think you’re being underpaid, you should talk to your employer first.
If that doesn’t resolve the issue, report it to HMRC.
If it turns out you have been underpaid by your employer, you are legally entitled to the back pay you are owed.
For more information on how to report it and what you can do, head over to the website.
The National Living Wage is the government’s minimum rate employers must pay employees aged 23 or over for each hour worked.
Those younger than 23 can be paid the national minimum wage instead, which is now £10.18 for 21 to 22-year-olds and £7.49 for those aged 18 to 20.
What is the National Living Wage?
The National Living Wage is the government’s minimum rate employers must pay employees aged 23 or over for each hour worked.
The difference between this and the Real Living Wage is that it’s decided by the government and is law, with the latter being voluntary.
It was introduced by Tony Blair‘s New Labour government in 1999 and was originally called the National Minimum Wage.
In 2011, a campaign group called the Living Wage Foundation was founded to persuade employers to voluntarily pay what it called the National Living Wage.
The National Living Wage was an independently-calculated estimate of the rate workers needed to cover their basic needs, and was higher than the National Minimum Wage.
What is the National Minimum Wage?
Those younger than 23 can be paid the national minimum wage instead, which is currently £10.18 for 21 to 22-year-olds and £7.49 for those aged 18 to 20.
The rates for the national minimum wage for 2023/24 are as follows:
- Those aged 21-22 will get at least £10.18 an hour
- Workers aged 23 and over will get £10.42
- For 18 to 20-year-olds, the minimum wage will go up to £7.49 an hour
- Under-18s will be entitled to a minimum of £5.28 an hour
- The apprenticeship wage will go up to £5.28
What help can I get if I’m struggling?
While this rise will be welcomed by many, it might not make a massive difference amid rising costs – but there is help you can get.
For example, the first £301 of the £900 cost of living payment started being dished out this week.
This payment is tax-free and will not have any effect on any existing benefit payments that you receive.
More than eight million people will receive the payment.
Thousands of people could also get help through the Household Support Fund.
It was originally meant to close at the end of March but has since been extended.
The money is paid through your council and each one will have a different pot of money.
Families can get help towards their grocery shopping, child costs and energy bills.
Plus, those struggling can apply for a range of schemes that provide free cash, vouchers and more and you could get thousands of pounds.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing [email protected]
