The National Living Wage is a legal minimum of £12.71 an hour for workers aged 21 and over from April 2026. The Real Living Wage is a separate, voluntary rate set by the Living Wage Foundation. Here's how they differ and what it means for your pay packet.
The first £30,000 of a redundancy payment is tax-free — the remaining £5,000 is taxed as income. A case study on splitting a £35,000 payout between an ISA and a pension contribution, including how paying some into a pension can offset the tax on the taxable slice.
Retention bonuses are taxed in full through PAYE when you receive them — but if you leave before the retention period ends and have to repay under a clawback clause, you can end up owing back more than you actually kept. Here's how the tax works.
A year off work doesn't have to mean a year off saving. Even with zero earnings, you can still pay up to £2,880 net (£3,600 gross with tax relief) into a pension — while your ISA covers the bills. Here's how to split the two.
Earn £8,000 from one job and £7,000 from another and your combined £15,000/year comfortably clears the £10,000 auto-enrolment trigger — but neither employer has to enrol you. The trigger is assessed per job, not on your total income. Here's how to fix it yourself.
Unlimited annual leave sounds simple, but UK law still guarantees every full-time worker 5.6 weeks minimum. Here's how 'unlimited' policies interact with your statutory rights, and what you're actually owed if you leave the job.
USS is a hybrid pension — Defined Benefit up to an illustrative salary threshold, then Defined Contribution 'Investment Builder' above it, plus anything you add via Additional Voluntary Contributions. Here's what AVCs cost, what they could grow to, and who should consider them.
Free workplace charging for your own electric car is tax-free and NI-free with no cap — but a cash charging allowance paid through payroll is fully taxed. On a £360/year allowance, a basic-rate employee only keeps around £259 after tax and NI.
Auto-enrolment requires a minimum 8% total pension contribution: typically 3% from your employer and 5% from you, on qualifying earnings between £6,240 and £50,270. On a £30,000 salary that builds a pot of roughly £115,000 by age 68. A more robust 15% contribution rate builds closer to £216,000. Here's the actual shortfall, worked through.
£105,000 a year after tax in 2026/27 is £70,457.40 net (£5,871.45/month). Personal Allowance taper applies. Full income tax, NI and Scotland breakdown for 2026/27.
£52,000 a year after tax in 2026/27 is £40,717.40 net (£3,393.12/month). Higher-rate tax applies on £1,730. Full income tax, NI and Scotland breakdown for 2026/27.
£54,000 a year after tax in 2026/27 is £41,877.40 net (£3,489.78/month). Higher-rate tax applies on £3,730. Full income tax, NI and Scotland breakdown for 2026/27.
