{"id":1588,"date":"2025-03-27T14:16:03","date_gmt":"2025-03-27T14:16:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/staff\/what-is-the-national-minimum-wage\/"},"modified":"2026-04-24T10:33:43","modified_gmt":"2026-04-24T10:33:43","slug":"what-is-the-national-minimum-wage","status":"publish","type":"knowledge","link":"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/staff\/what-is-the-national-minimum-wage\/","title":{"rendered":"What is the national minimum wage in 2026? A guide for employers"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The government sets a national minimum wage and a national living wage to guarantee the lowest paid workers get a minimum standard of pay. This is a legal requirement for all businesses of any size, so read on to make sure you\u2019re complying with the latest rates and check the rules for different age groups and apprentices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"whatisthecurrentnationalminimumwage\"><strong>What is the current national minimum wage? <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The national minimum wage and national living wage rates changed on 1 April 2026. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The current national minimum wage rate is \u00a310.85 an hour for workers aged 18 to 20. The minimum wage rate for workers aged 21 and older (known as the national living wage) is \u00a312.71.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-national-minimum-wage\"><strong>National minimum wage<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The minimum wage currently applies to workers under the age of 23. Rates are set for different age groups:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\"><strong>21 and over<\/strong> <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\"><strong>18, 19, 20 year olds<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\"><strong>apprentice rate<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-2025-and-2026-rates\">2025 and 2026 rates <\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><td><\/td><td><strong>Age group<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>April 2026 rate<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>National living wage<\/strong><\/td><td>21 and over<\/td><td><strong>\u00a312.71<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>National minimum wage<\/strong><\/td><td>18 to 20<\/td><td><strong>\u00a310.85<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>National minimum wage<\/strong><\/td><td>Under 18<\/td><td><strong>\u00a38.00<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Apprentice rate<\/strong><\/td><td>All ages*<\/td><td><strong>\u00a38.00<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To check if you\u2019re paying the correct minimum or living wage to your employees, you can use the government\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/minimum-wage-calculator-employers\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">national minimum wage calculator<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-azure-200-background-color has-background has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-30c80bf8 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"border-radius:35px;margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--90);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--90);padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--90);padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--90);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--90);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--90)\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-national-minimum-wage-for-16-year-old-workers-in-2026\"><strong>National minimum wage for 16 year old workers<\/strong> in 2026<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">From 1 April 2026, the national minimum wage for 16 year olds is \u00a38 an hour.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-national-minimum-wage-for-17-year-old-workers-in-2026\"><strong>National minimum wage for 17 year old workers<\/strong> in 2026<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The minimum wage for 17 year olds is \u00a38 an hour, as of 1 April 2026.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-will-the-national-living-wage-rise-in-2027\">Will the national living wage rise in 2027?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The national living wage usually increases every year to make sure wages are rising in line with inflation.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The government asks the Low Pay Commission to recommend an increase which prevents the national living wage dropping below two-thirds of UK median earnings for workers.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Recommendations usually take into account: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\">the cost of living<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\">inflation forecasts <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\">the impact on the labour market<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\">wider macroeconomic conditions<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Low Pay Commission will make its final recommendation to the government by the end of October 2026, with new national living wage and national minimum wage rates being introduced on 1 April 2027.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"nationalminimumwage2021guideforemployers\"><strong>National minimum wage 2026 \u2013 guide for employers<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you\u2019re <a href=\"\/knowledge\/starting-out\/sole-trader-vs-limited-company\/\" data-type=\"knowledge\" data-id=\"1532\">self-employed<\/a> and running your own business or if you\u2019re a <a href=\"\/knowledge\/business-structure\/setting-up-a-limited-company\/\" data-type=\"knowledge\" data-id=\"1270\">company director<\/a>, you aren\u2019t entitled to national minimum wage or national living wage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"whatisthenationalminimumwageact1998\">What is the National Minimum Wage Act 1998?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.legislation.gov.uk\/ukpga\/1998\/39\/contents\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">National Minimum Wage Act 1998<\/a> was introduced to make sure that the lowest paid workers are paid fairly while protecting employment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Be aware that <a data-type=\"knowledge\" data-id=\"1379\" href=\"\/knowledge\/staff\/employment-contract-template\/\">employment contracts<\/a> with a lower rate of pay aren\u2019t legally binding \u2013 and not complying with the law on minimum wage can lead to an investigation from HMRC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"nationallivingwagevsminimumwagewhatsthedifference\">National living wage vs minimum wage \u2013 what\u2019s the difference?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In April 2016, the government introduced the national living wage (minimum rate of pay), initially for workers 25 and older. Since April 2021 more younger people have been eligible for the wage as the threshold moved to include anyone aged 23 and older. And from April 2024, the national living wage applied to anyone aged 21 and older.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So to summarise, the difference between the national minimum wage and living wage is related to someone\u2019s age:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Wage type<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Difference<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>National living wage<\/td><td>Applies to workers aged 21+<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>National minimum wage<\/td><td>Applies to workers aged 16-22<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Apprentices aged 16 and 17 get a different rate of pay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What\u2019s the real living wage?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The national minimum wage shouldn\u2019t be confused with the voluntary <a href=\"https:\/\/www.livingwage.org.uk\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">London Living Wage and UK Living Wage<\/a>, which is calculated based on real living costs and isn\u2019t connected to the government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Set up by the Living Wage Foundation, the living wage is a campaign that encourages employers to pay a wage that reflects everyday costs in London and the UK. According to their data, the \u2018real living wage\u2019 is currently \u00a313.45 for the UK and slightly higher in London at \u00a314.80.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Real living wage employers have until 1 May 2026 to implement the new rates. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Businesses need to keep payroll records<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As a business owner it\u2019s important to keep accurate records, and this includes proof that you\u2019re paying employees at least the minimum wage. This could be payroll records to show total pay and hours worked as well as any contracts and agreements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You must keep these records for at least six years if they were created on or after 1 April 2021 (or if you still had records on 31 March that you needed to keep under the previous three-year rule).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Our <a href=\"\/knowledge\/business-tax\/how-long-to-keep-tax-records\/\" data-type=\"knowledge\" data-id=\"1407\">guide to record keeping<\/a> goes into more detail about other records you have to keep for your business, and for how long. Or check out our comparison guide on the <a href=\"\/knowledge\/business-tax\/best-small-business-accounting-software-uk\/\" data-type=\"knowledge\" data-id=\"1262\">best accounting software<\/a> out there for small businesses \u2013 some of which include a useful payroll feature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Guides for small business owners<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\"><a href=\"\/knowledge\/staff\/ssp-rate-how-much-is-statutory-sick-pay\/\" data-type=\"knowledge\" data-id=\"1222\">How much is Statutory Sick Pay?<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\"><a href=\"\/knowledge\/funding\/small-business-grants\/\" data-type=\"knowledge\" data-id=\"1525\">A guide to small business grants in the UK \u2013 and how to apply<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\"><a href=\"\/knowledge\/income\/balance-sheet-template\/\" data-type=\"knowledge\" data-id=\"1105\">How to do a balance sheet for your business<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\"><a href=\"\/business-insurance\/faq\/what-is-employers-liability-insurance\/\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"596\">What is employers\u2019 liability insurance?<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-azure-200-background-color has-background has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-94e519ba wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--80);padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--80);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40)\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\" id=\"readytosetupyourcover\">Ready to set up your cover?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph\">As one of the UK&#8217;s biggest <a href=\"\/business-insurance\/\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"5152\">business insurance<\/a> providers, we specialise in <a href=\"\/business-insurance\/public-liability-insurance\/\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"734\">public liability insurance<\/a> and protect more trades than anybody else. Why not take a look now and build a quick, tailored quote?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-content-justification-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-buttons-is-layout-a89b3969 wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/quote.simplybusiness.co.uk\/business\">Start your quote<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"nba-body-end\">\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Read our guide to the 2026 rates in the UK.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":3334,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"sb_hreflang":"","sb_hreflang_url":"","disable_breadcrumbs":false,"sb_breadcrumbs":[],"sb_reviewed_by":"catriona-smith","sb_review_date":"2026-04-24T11:39:45","sb_enable_content_gating":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[342],"hidden-category":[],"coauthors":[23],"class_list":["post-1588","knowledge","type-knowledge","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-staff"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.2 (Yoast SEO v27.2) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>What is the national minimum wage 2026?<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Businesses are required by law to pay employees at least the minimum wage or living wage. 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