Low Pay Commission


The Low Pay Commission is an independent body in the United Kingdom, established in 1997, that advises the government on the National Minimum Wage. It is an advisory non-departmental public body of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

History and role

The LPC was established in July 1997 on a non-statutory basis before being confirmed in legislation by the National Minimum Wage Act 1998.
Each year, the LPC advises the government on what rates the different minimum wages in the UK should be, announcing its recommendation six months before it would come into force. It is then up to the government to accept or reject the LPC's recommendations. In the past, the government has usually accepted the wage levels advocated by the LPC.

Structure

The LPC consists of nine Low Pay Commissioners who are selected by BEIS. The Commissioners are a mixture of employers, trade unionists and academics.

Chairs

In March 2014 the Resolution Foundation issued the report More Than A Minimum which proposed that the LPC's role should be expanded to include publishing the following: