New National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage Rates

 From 1 April 2026, the National Living Wage (NLW), which is the minimum amount that must be paid to workers aged 21 and above, increases to £12.71 per hour.

The National Minimum Wage (NMW) is paid to workers who have reached school leaving age and who are under 21. From 1 April 2026, the NMW for workers aged 18 to 20 increases to £10.85 per hour, while the rate for workers under the age of 18 and the apprentice rate for apprentices under the age of 19, or aged 19 and over and in the first year of their apprenticeship, increases to £8 per hour.