Stories

Wed, 14 Oct 2026

Wed, 14 Oct 2026 How much is the minimum wage?

What are the National Minimum Wage and the National Living Wage, and how much are they worth?
National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage
* From April 1, 2.7 million workers in the UK saw their minimum pay rates increase
* Workers over 21 now earn £12.71 per hour (up 50p from 2025), which equates to a full-time worker earning £24,784.50 per year (an increase of £900)
* Workers aged 18-20 now earn £10.85 per hour (an increase of 85p), which amounts to an increase of £1,500 per year for a full-time worker
* The minimum wage for workers aged 16-17 has also increased to £8 per hour Apprentices
* Apprentices are paid according to their age and the stage of their apprenticeship
* Those under 19 or in the first year of their apprenticeship earn the National Minimum Wage rate for their age group (currently £8)
* Those over 19 or who have completed their first year earn the National Living Wage or National Minimum Wage rate for their age Exemptions
* The self-employed, company directors, volunteers, members of the armed forces, and prisoners do not qualify for the National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage
* People with disabilities or in long-term unemployment who take part in government work programmes are paid fixed amounts at different stages of the scheme Employer fines
* In March 2026, 389 employers were fined £12.6m for failing to pay staff properly and must repay around £7.3m to around 60,000 workers
* The Real Living Wage is an unofficial hourly rate that increases every October, set at a rate to meet the cost of living Real Living Wage
* Almost 500,000 employees working for nearly 17,000 firms receive the voluntary Real Living Wage
* In October 2026, the UK rate will increase by 4.8% to £14.10 an hour and the London Living Wage will go up by 4.4% to £15.45