HMRC catches only 13% of firms paying below minimum wage
There are fears an inflation-busting rise in April will tempt more bosses to break the law
Thousands of bosses who pay workers less than the minimum wage are getting away with breaking the law, with only one in eight caught by government inspectors, research shows.
There has been a sharp rise in the number of low-paid workers cheated of wages. An estimated 11,000 firms failed to pay the minimum wage in 2018-19, according to analysis of official figures by the Resolution Foundation thinktank. However, HM Revenue and Customs inspectors identified only 1,456 of the lawbreakers and there are fears an inflation-busting rise in the minimum rate in April may tempt more employers to break the rules.