Free Forecasting Tool 2026

Armstrong Watson has developed a wage forecasting tool to assist businesses in estimating their employer wage bill. This includes the increases in National Living/Minimum Wage Rates from April 2026, along with National Insurance contributions.

This free tool, created by our payroll service line and IT team, is designed to be user-friendly, however it does make several assumptions to simplify its use. 

Before using the tool, please ensure you read the following disclaimer document.

Download free forecasting tool

Armstrong Watson Payroll Clients

If you are an Armstrong Watson client who use our payroll services, there are two options available:

1. Self-Population: If you prefer to populate the tool yourself, please use the link above.

2. Assisted Population: If you would like our payroll team to pre-populate the tool with as much data as possible from our payroll system, please contact us at awpayroll@armstrongwatson.co.uk and we will send you the pre-populated forecasting tool as soon as possible. Note: you may need to complete certain fields, such as contracted hours, as specified in the disclaimer document where the data is not held.

For some businesses, an increase in wage costs will put significant pressure on day-to-day running and may impact viability. If you have any concerns about how you will fund your increasing wage bill, please get in touch with our advisory team who can work with you to put a plan in place, email help@armstrongwatson.co.uk or call 0808144 5575.