National Minimum Wage Rates for 2026 Announced

The government has announced the rates of the National Living Wage (NLW) and National Minimum Wage (NMW) which will take effect from 1 April 2026. In announcing these increases, the government has accepted in full the recommendations made by the Low Pay Commission.

The new rates are as follows:

  • The NLW, which applies to those aged 21 and over, will increase from £12.21 to £12.71 per hour;
  • The NMW for 18- to 20-year-olds will increase from £10.00 to £10.85 per hour;
  • The NMW for 16- and 17-year-olds will increase from £7.55 to £8.00 per hour; and
  • The apprentice rate of the NMW, which applies to apprentices aged under 19 or those aged 19 or over and in the first year of their apprenticeship, will increase from £7.55 to £8.00 per hour.

The accommodation offset will increase from £10.66 to £11.10 per day for each day during the pay period that accommodation is provided.

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