UK / Checker
Agency worker payslip checker (UK)
Agency payslips combine PAYE basics with rules specific to temporary workers - the Agency Workers Regulations (AWR), accrued holiday pay and frequent code changes between assignments. This checker walks them in plain English.
Educational guidance only. PayslipIQ is not HMRC, your employer, a payroll provider, tax adviser, financial adviser, pension adviser or legal adviser. Always verify with payroll or HMRC before acting.
The problem
Agency workers see more payroll changes in a year than most permanent employees see in a decade. Each assignment can mean a new pay rate, a new pension scheme, a new student-loan plan check, and frequent emergency tax codes between jobs.
On top of that, the Agency Workers Regulations (AWR) entitle you to equal pay and conditions after 12 weeks in the same role - but this is often missed unless you raise it.
Plain-English explanation
An agency payslip should make four things obvious:
- The pay rate for the period, including any overtime premium.
- Holiday pay - either accrued and paid when you take leave, or paid each period and labelled clearly.
- A standard PAYE block (tax code, PAYE, NI, student loan, pension if enrolled).
- AWR equal-pay status (relevant after 12 calendar weeks in the same role).
Two agency-specific traps to watch for:
- Tax code defaults - when you start a new assignment without a P45, payroll often defaults you to 0T, which over-taxes you. Update HMRC immediately to trigger a correct code.
- Holiday pay opacity - by law your holiday pay must be visible. If you cannot see it, ask the agency for a written breakdown.
Worked example - first month on 0T after a P45 was missed
- Hourly rate £14.00
- Hours worked this month 150
- Gross pay £2,100.00
- Tax code on payslip 0T
- Code that should apply 1257L
- PAYE under 0T £420.00
- PAYE under 1257L (cumulative) £210.50
- Over-deduction this period £209.50
- Add: Class 1 NI 8% on £2,100 £168.00
- Holiday pay (12.07% accrued) £253.47 (held until taken)
- Net pay this period £1,512.00 (under 0T)
- vs. £1,721.50 under 1257L
Worked example uses 2026/27 UK figures and is illustrative. Do not use it as a personal tax calculation.
Apply this to your own payslip
Get your figures checked in plain English
Upload a redacted payslip or enter your figures manually. PayslipIQ will run the same logic explained on this page and give you a per-line second opinion. No signup. Image not stored by PayslipIQ.
Check My Payslip FreeStep by step
Confirm your tax code is right for the assignment
A 0T or BR code on your only assignment is usually wrong - contact HMRC to update it. PayslipIQ's wrong tax code checker walks the routes.
Find the holiday pay line
Either accrued and paid when you take leave, or paid each period. If you cannot see either, the agency is not compliant - escalate.
Check NI is being applied per period correctly
For agency workers paid weekly, the NI primary threshold is £242/week for 2026/27. Pay above this is at 8%; above £967/week (UEL) at 2%.
Check student loan if applicable
Plan threshold ÷ 52 = weekly threshold; multiply pay above the threshold by 9% (or 6% PGL).
After 12 weeks in the same role, verify AWR equal pay
You are entitled to the same basic pay and conditions as a permanent comparator. Ask the agency for the comparator role and the equal-pay calculation.
Run a free PayslipIQ check
PayslipIQ reconciles the period and explicitly flags missing holiday pay, emergency tax codes and AWR week-12 transitions.
What to ask payroll
- How is holiday pay handled on this assignment - accrued and held, or paid each period?
- When did this assignment start, and have you confirmed AWR equal pay status with the hirer?
- Have you received an updated tax code (P6) for me from HMRC since I started?
- If I am on a Plan 5 student loan, has the deduction started in the period I crossed the threshold?
- Am I auto-enrolled into a pension yet, and if so, on what date?
When to contact HMRC
- Sign in to your HMRC personal tax account to update your current employer details and trigger a correct PAYE code.
- For a missing P45, complete the HMRC starter checklist via your tax account so payroll can apply the right code without it.
- For unlawful deductions from wages, contact ACAS or Citizens Advice to discuss conciliation or a tribunal claim.
- For AWR breaches, raise a written grievance with the agency first; if unresolved, ACAS handles agency-worker complaints.
FAQ
- Why am I on emergency tax at my new agency assignment?
- Most likely because your previous employment's P45 has not yet been processed. You can fix this immediately by completing the starter checklist in your HMRC personal tax account, which triggers HMRC to issue a correct code to the agency.
- Should holiday pay show as a line on my payslip?
- Yes - by law. It is either accrued (held until you take leave) or paid each period. If you cannot see either, the agency is not compliant.
- What are the Agency Workers Regulations?
- AWR (2010) entitle agency workers to the same basic pay and working conditions as a comparable permanent employee after 12 calendar weeks in the same role at the same hirer.
- Will I get holiday pay at the end of an assignment?
- Yes - any accrued holiday pay you have not taken should be paid out when the assignment ends. Check the final payslip for the pay-in-lieu line.
- Can the agency charge me for processing my pay?
- No. UK regulations prohibit recruitment agencies charging work-finding fees to workers. Umbrella companies (a separate model) charge a margin - see our umbrella company payslip checker for that.
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Educational guidance only. PayslipIQ provides an educational second opinion based on the figures you supply and the public 2026/27 UK PAYE, NI, pension and student-loan rules. PayslipIQ is not affiliated with HMRC and is not a regulated tax, legal, financial, payroll or employment adviser. Verify any final figure with your payroll team, HMRC, your pension provider or a qualified professional before acting.
Published 2026-05-09. Last reviewed 2026-05-09. See our methodology and payslip processing privacy notice.