Minimum wage and the National Living Wage
The legal pay floor rose again on 1 April 2026. Here are the rates, who qualifies for which, and the subtle ways employers fall below the line without realising.
The April 2026 rates
Workers aged 21 and over must receive at least £12.71 an hour (the National Living Wage). The 18 to 20 rate is £10.85 – the largest rise of the year at 8.5 percent, as the government moves towards a single adult rate. Under-18s and apprentices get £8.00. The apprentice rate only applies to apprentices under 19, or 19-plus in the first year of their apprenticeship – leaving someone on it too long is one of the most common payroll errors in the UK.
A full-time worker (37.5 hours) on the National Living Wage now earns about £24,784 a year. Check any rate, age and hours combination with the minimum wage checker.
How employers fall below the line
- Deductions for uniforms or tools – if a deduction for items connected to the job drags average hourly pay below the rate, it is an underpayment.
- Unpaid time – security checks, handovers, travel between assignments and mandatory training all count as working time.
- Salaried staff doing extra hours – a £24,800 salary looks compliant at 37.5 hours but breaches the NLW if the employee regularly works 40.
- Accommodation – employers providing housing can only offset £11.10 per day against wages.