Unscrupulous employers pushing people into debt

Calls to the National Minimum Wage (NMW) helpline were found to have increased by ten per cent in a year, leading to £3,291,516 in unpaid wages being recovered for 25,314 workers.

Employment minister Jim Fitzpatrick said: “The national minimum wage protects our most vulnerable and low-paid workers from the most unscrupulous employers.

“In this year alone we have helped over 25,000 people and recovered over £3 million on behalf of low paid workers.”

With Britain’s debt levels growing, particularly among the poorest citizens, anything that dents income is likely to hurt.

As utility and council tax bills rise, people on low wages are likely to need some form of debt management plan, even if their employers do pay them the right amount.

HMRC found that hairdressers and hospitality workers were most likely to be hit by workers paying them below the legal minimum.