The Government takes the enforcement of the National Minimum Wage (NMW) very seriously. HMRC review every complaint that is referred to them by the Pay and Work Rights Helpline. In addition, HMRC undertake targeted enforcement on employers across the United Kingdom who are more likely to be not paying NMW.<\/p>
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The Government has increased the financial penalty percentage from 50% to 100% of the unpaid wages owed to workers, and the maximum penalty from £5,000 to £20,000. These new limits are now in force where arrears are identified in pay reference periods on or after 7 March 2014. The Government will also bring in primary legislation as soon as possible so that the maximum £20,000 penalty can apply to each underpaid worker.<\/p>
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The majority of employers identified as paying below the NMW pay arrears on receipt of a formal Notice of Underpayment. Where they do not do so, HMRC pursues recovery through the civil courts. HMRC\u2018s approach to tackling underpayment of NMW through the civil courts is the best way to ensure that money is paid back to the person underpaid and provides the most effective resolution for tax-payers. Criminal investigations may not result in arrears being paid to workers and are therefore reserved for the most serious cases.<\/p>
<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1529", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mr David Gauke"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "South West Hertfordshire"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Mr David Gauke"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2014-11-03", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2014-11-03T15:32:50.2694548Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "14"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Treasury"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Treasury"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2014-10-22", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Minimum Wage"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 16 October 2014 to Question 209683 to the hon. Member for Stourbridge, what assessment he has made of the factors that resulted in there being no prosecutions for not paying the national minimum wage in each of the last two years.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4122", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Alex Cunningham"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Stockton North"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Alex Cunningham"} ], "uin" : "211604"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/100311", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "HM Treasury"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/100311/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The Government takes the enforcement of the National Minimum Wage (NMW) very seriously.<\/p>
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HMRC does not keep data in a format to enable provision of the statistics requested on the amount of arrears paid or not paid to workers. HMRC contacts every employer whom they find has paid workers below the National Minimum Wage to confirm that they have paid the identified arrears to the workers. In addition, where it has found arrears for five or fewer workers it will contact all the workers to confirm payment by the employer. In cases involving arrears for more than five workers it will contact a minimum sample of five workers to confirm payment by the employer. HMRC will pursue non-payment of arrears through civil recovery action.<\/p>
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<\/p>
HMRC review every complaint that is referred to them by the Pay and Work Rights Helpline and will always investigate any case of possible National Minimum Wage abuse. Therefore there will always be variation in the number of cases investigated within specific sectors.<\/p>
<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1529", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mr David Gauke"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "South West Hertfordshire"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Mr David Gauke"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2014-11-03", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "groupedQuestionUIN" : [{"_value" : "211547"} , {"_value" : "211653"} ], "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2014-11-03T15:22:53.7580979Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "14"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Treasury"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Treasury"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2014-10-22", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Social Services: Pay"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much of the national minimum wage arrears identified in the social care sector by HM Revenue and Customs in the findings of its social care evaluation of November 2013 have been recovered and paid to the workers affected.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4122", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Alex Cunningham"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Stockton North"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Alex Cunningham"} ], "uin" : "211605"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/100312", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "HM Treasury"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/100312/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
Increasing the National insurance Contribution Primary threshold for employees and Lower Profits Limit for self employed to £10,000 in 2014-15, in order to match the personal allowance, would take an estimated 1.5m people out of paying NICs.<\/p>
<\/p>
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<\/p>
These estimates are based on the 2011-12 Survey of Personal Incomes projected forward to 2014-15 using economic assumptions consistent with the OBR\u2019s March 2014 economic and fiscal outlook.<\/p>
<\/p>
<\/p>
<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1529", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mr David Gauke"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "South West Hertfordshire"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Mr David Gauke"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2014-10-27", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2014-10-27T16:26:00.4546072Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "14"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Treasury"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Treasury"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2014-10-22", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Income Tax"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will estimate how many people would not be paying income tax and national insurance contributions if the threshold for both were equalised at the higher rate of the two.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1409", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mr Gregory Campbell"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "East Londonderry"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Mr Gregory Campbell"} ], "uin" : "211580"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/100313", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "HM Treasury"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/100313/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
This information is not available.<\/p>
<\/p>
<\/p>
I refer my hon. friend to the reply given on 1 May 2014, Official report, columns 799W-800W,<\/p>
<\/p>
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201314/cmhansrd/cm140501/text/140501w0002.htm#14050155000316<\/a><\/p> <\/p> for the number of families claiming tax credits where, if claiming as a couple, at least one of the family members was recorded as being a non-UK national when they registered for a National Insurance number (NINO).<\/p> <\/p> <\/p> These awards will include people who were recorded as being a non-UK national when they first registered for a NINO but now have UK nationality. The information cannot therefore be used to reliably determine the number of non-UK nationals in receipt of tax credits and was not intended to be used for that purpose.<\/p> <\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4066", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Priti Patel"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Witham"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Priti Patel"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2014-11-10", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2014-11-10T17:47:02.4187147Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "14"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Treasury"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Treasury"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2014-10-22", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Working Tax Credit"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many non-UK citizens from (a) other EU countries and (b) the rest of the world are in receipt of working tax credit.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/242", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sir Christopher Chope"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Christchurch"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Mr Christopher Chope"}
], "uin" : "211619"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/100314", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "HM Treasury"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/100314/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " I refer the hon member to the answer that I gave on 24 October to the hon member for South Down:<\/p> <\/p> <\/p> <\/p>