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Care Worker Minimum Wage Checker UK

Use this free UK care worker minimum wage checker to estimate whether your pay stays above the legal minimum once travel between calls, waiting time and other unpaid working time are included.

Designed for domiciliary care workers, home carers and support workers paid by the hour.

National Minimum Wage Compliance Calculator for Care Workers for Tax Year 2026/27

Use this calculator to estimate whether a care worker has been paid at least the National Minimum Wage once working time and pay are calculated properly for NMW purposes.

This calculator does not include sleep-in shifts. Sleep-in calculations can be complex and a separate calculator is being prepared. Sick leave and holidays do not count as working time for NMW purposes.

1) Worker details

Name (optional)
Care Company (optional)
How old are you?
How often are you paid (pay period)?
National Minimum Wage used: £12.71 / hour

2) Working time for NMW calculation in the pay period

You’ll usually need your timesheet or payroll information. Working time for NMW purposes may be significantly different from your employer’s idea of working time.

How many rostered hours caring for clients have you worked?
All time spent at appointments or delivering care in a client’s home.
How many hours in meetings?
Time spent in required team meetings or handover time before or after shifts.
Time spent on administrative tasks
Time spent filling in care notes, paperwork or reporting, even if done outside normal hours.
Uniform / PPE time
Time spent putting on uniforms or PPE at the workplace.
How many hours in training?
Time spent on mandatory training required by the employer, including induction, whether on-site or elsewhere.
How many hours in staff appraisals or supervisions?
How many other hours were you told to be available for?
For example being told to arrive early, or a client has fallen and you have to remain until ambulance arrives.
How many hours did you spend travelling to and from clients?
Do not include travel time to and from home.
Do include public transport and walking to calls.
Do include time trying to find a parking space.
How many hours did you spend waiting?
Include time waiting for the next call if you cannot use that time for yourself.
Include time spent waiting at a client’s request, or between visits if the gap is short in a fragmented rota.
Less unpaid breaks
Genuine uninterrupted unpaid rest breaks where you are free from duties.
Add paid breaks
Paid breaks are generally included as working time for NMW purposes if they form part of the contract.
Total working hours for NMW purposes: 0.00 hours
This total working hours figure is multiplied by the National Minimum Wage per hour to work out the minimum pay required for the period.

3) Pay for NMW calculation

Only certain pay counts for NMW purposes. Gross pay for NMW purposes can be different from what an employer calls gross pay.

  • Do not include overtime and shift premiums
  • Do not include on-call or stand-by payments
  • Do not include unsocial hours or danger allowances
  • Do not include regional allowances like London Weighting unless fully merged into basic pay
  • Do not include qualification allowances
  • Expense reimbursements do not count as pay
  • Tips and gratuities cannot be used to top up NMW
  • Benefits in kind are excluded
Hours actually paid for by employer
Basic rate of pay / hour (£)
Only the basic rate of pay counts towards the NMW. If a care worker usually earns £12.50/hour basic but is paid £13.50 for evenings, only £12.50 is counted for that hour when calculating NMW compliance.
Gross pay paid for NMW purposes (£)
Gross pay paid for NMW purposes is automatically calculated as: Hours actually paid for by employer × Basic rate of pay / hour.

Summary

Gross pay for NMW purposes
£0.00
Less required National Minimum Wage pay for this period
£0.00
Estimated under / overpayment of NMW
£0.00
Estimated effective hourly rate for NMW purposes
£0.00

How This Care Worker Minimum Wage Calculator Works

Many hourly paid care workers only look at their headline hourly rate. However, National Minimum Wage rules can be different when travel time, waiting time, unpaid meetings, training and premium payments are considered.

This calculator estimates your real hourly rate for minimum wage purposes using the figures you enter.

Does Travel Time Between Care Calls Count?

In many cases, yes.

Travel between client appointments is often working time for minimum wage purposes.

Examples include:

  • Driving between clients
  • Walking between calls
  • Bus journeys between appointments
  • Waiting for public transport between visits

Travel from home to your first call and from your last call back home usually does not count.

What About Waiting Time?

Waiting time may count where you are required to remain available for work.

Examples may include:

  • Waiting between care calls
  • Staying late because a client has fallen
  • Waiting for medication delivery
  • Being asked to arrive early

Why Premium Pay Can Be Misleading

Some care workers receive higher hourly rates for:

  • evenings
  • weekends
  • bank holidays
  • sleep-ins
  • emergency cover

However, the premium element may not fully count towards minimum wage calculations.

That means a worker can appear well paid on paper but still fall close to minimum wage after calculations.

Who Is This Tool For?

This calculator may help:

  • Domiciliary care workers
  • Home carers
  • Community support workers
  • Support staff paid by visit
  • Care workers with travel between calls
  • Hourly paid support workers
  • Employers calculating pay

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this official legal advice?

No. This tool is an estimate only and should not replace legal advice or HMRC guidance.

Can I use this for monthly pay?

Yes. Select your pay period in the calculator.

Does unpaid training count?

Often mandatory training time can be relevant.

What if I use public transport?

Travel between clients may still be relevant.

Think you know how to calculate National Minimum Wage (NMW)?

Try our NMW quiz

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