Compensation limits
Payments | From 1 April 2014 | From 6 April 2015 |
Limit on guarantee payments | £25 | £26 |
Limit on a week's pay for calculating redundancy and unfair dismissal basic award | £464 | £475 |
Maximum basic award for unfair dismissal and statutory redundancy payment (30 weeks' pay subject to the limit on week's pay | £13,920 | £14,250 |
Minimum basic award for dismissal on trade union, health and safety, occupational pension scheme trustee, employee representative and on working time grounds only | £5,676 | £5,807 |
Maximum compensatory award for unfair dismissal | £76,574 | £78,335 |
Minimum compensation for employees excluded/expelled from trade union | £8,669 | £8,868 |
Contract claims (if a claim for breach of contract (eg wrongful dismissal) is brought in an employment tribunal, compensation is capped at £25,000. If the claim is for more than £25,000, it can be made in the county court or high court | £25,000 | £25,000 |
Family friendly payments
Payments | From 6 April 2014 | From 5 April 2015 |
Statutory shared parental pay (ShPP) Statutory rate or 90% of employee's weekly earnings if this is lower. |
£138.18 | £139.58 |
Statutory maternity pay (SMP) First six weeks - 90% of employee's average weekly earnings. Remaining weeks at the statutory rate or 90% of employee's weekly earnings if this is lower. |
£138.18 | £139.58 |
Statutory adoption pay (SAP) Statutory rate or 90% of employee's weekly earnings if this is lower. (First six weeks - 90% of employee's weekly earnings - from 5 April 2015). |
£138.18 | £139.58 |
Statutory paternity pay (SPP) Statutory rate or 90% of employee's weekly earnings if this is lower. |
£138.18 | £139.58 |
Statutory sick pay
Payment | From 6 April 2014 | From 6 April 2015 |
Statutory sick pay | £87.55 | £88.45 |
National minimum wage
Age | From 1 October 2014 | From 1 October 2015 |
Workers aged 21 and over | £6.50 an hour | £6.70 an hour |
Development rate for workers aged 18-20 | £5.13 an hour | £5.30 an hour |
Young workers rate for workers aged 16-17 | £3.79 an hour | £3.87 an hour |
Apprentices under 19, or over 19 and in first year of the apprenticeship | £2.73 an hour | £3.30 an hour |
Disclosure and barring fees
Check | Fee |
Enhanced DBS check | £44 |
Standard DBS check | £26 |
DBS adult first check | £6 |
Registration application | £300 |
Countersignatory | £5 |
National insurance contribution thresholds
£ per week (unless stated) | 2014-2015 | 2015-2016 |
Lower earnings limit, primary Class 1 | £111 | £112 |
Upper earnings limit, primary Class 1 | £805 | £815 |
Upper secondary threshold for under 21s (from April 2015) | N/A | £815 |
Primary threshold | £153 | £155 |
Secondary threshold | £153 | £156 |
Class 2 rate | £2.75 | 2.80 |
Small earnings exception (replaced by Small profits threshold from 6 April 2015) | £5,885 pa | £5,965 pa |
Special Class 2 rate for volunteer development workers | £5.55 | £5.60 |
Class 3 rate | £13.90 | £14.10 |
Class 4 rate lower profits limit | £7,956 pa | £8,060 |
Class 4 rate upper profits limit | £41,865 pa | £42,385 |