Failure to pay national minimum wage undermines people’s financial security, says Citizens Advice

The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) has today launched a campaign to raise awareness of national minimum wage after new research reveals that people are unsure about what deductions employers can legally take from their wages.

Responding to the campaign launch, Gillian Guy, Chief Executive of Citizens Advice said:

“Workers who do a fair day’s work aren’t always getting a fair day’s pay.

“Last year, Citizens Advice helped with 77,000 problems with pay, including situations where people’s wages were reduced by having to pay for training or uniforms themselves, or their hours were misrepresented so they weren’t paid for the time they’d actually worked.

“It’s right that the government is highlighting people being underpaid, which is not only illegal but poses a serious threat to people’s financial security. People plan their finances based on what they expect to be paid, and failure to pay people what they’re owed undermines their ability to pay the bills and plan for the future.

“Anyone who is unsure about whether they’ve been paid correctly can come to Citizens Advice for help.”

Notes to editors

  1. The Citizens Advice service comprises a network of local Citizens Advice, all of which are independent charities, the Citizens Advice consumer service and national charity Citizens Advice. Together we help people resolve their money, legal and other problems by providing information and advice and by influencing policymakers. For more see the Citizens Advice website .

  2. The advice provided by the Citizens Advice service is free, independent, confidential and impartial, and available to everyone regardless of race, gender, disability, sexual orientation, religion, age or nationality.

  3. To get advice online or find your local Citizens Advice in England and Wales, visit citizensadvice.org.uk

  4. You can get consumer advice from the Citizens Advice consumer service on 03454 04 05 06 or 03454 04 05 05 for Welsh language speakers.

  5. Local Citizens Advice in England and Wales advised 2.5 million clients on 6.2 million problems in 2014/15. For full service statistics see our publication  Advice trends .

  6. Citizens Advice service staff are supported by more than 21,000 trained volunteers, working at over 2,500 service outlets across England and Wales.