The government has published a report of its evidence and analysis on the enforcement of the national living wage (NLW) and national minimum wage (NMW) during the 2020/21 financial year. The report indicates that £16.8 million in NLW/NMW arrears was identified for over 155,000 workers, and HMRC issued 575 financial penalties, totalling £14.1 million, to non-compliant employers. 139 non-compliant employers were "named and shamed" under the NMW naming scheme.

The period covered by the report coincided with the coronavirus pandemic, and so HMRC concentrated targeted enforcement in this period on those sectors least impacted by the pandemic. However, every complaint received was considered regardless of sector. During this period, HMRC’s enforcement and compliance budget was £27.5 million.

Source: New feed