The National Minimum Wage:2026

The minimum wage changed in April 2025 - and it’s now confirmed to rise again from 1 April 2026.

Here’s what you should be paying right now (since 1 April 2025)

• Aged 21 and over (National Living Wage): £12.21 per hour
• Aged 18 to 20: £10.00 per hour
• Aged under 18: £7.55 per hour
• Apprentices: £7.55 per hour

Source: Minimum wage rates for 2025 (GOV.UK).

What’s changing from April 2026 (confirmed)

From 1 April 2026, the rates are set to increase to:

• Aged 21 and over (National Living Wage): £12.71 per hour
• Aged 18 to 20: £10.85 per hour
• Aged 16–17: £8.00 per hour
• Apprentices: £8.00 per hour

Source: Minimum wage rates for 2026 (GOV.UK).

So if you’re planning pay rises, hiring, or budgeting for 2026, it’s worth building these increases in now - especially if you run tight margins or employ part-time/casual staff.

How we got here - a quick history

The National Minimum Wage kicked off back in 1999 at just £3.60 an hour for adults. Before that, there was no national standard - some people were working full shifts for less than the price of a takeaway.

It’s crept up year by year since:

• £5.93 in 2010
• £7.20 in 2016 (when the “National Living Wage” came in)
• £9.50 in 2022
• £12.21 in 2025

So the adult minimum has more than tripled in cash terms over 25 years. Even after inflation, workers on the lowest pay are better off now than they were in the late 90s.

Apprentices - what employers should know

Apprentices have their own minimum rate:

• Currently: £7.55 per hour (April 2025–March 2026)
• From 1 April 2026: £8.00 per hour

The apprentice rate applies if they’re under 19, or 19+ and in the first year of their apprenticeship. After the first year (and if they’re 19+), they must be paid the minimum wage for their age group.

Financial perks for hiring apprentices

• £1,000 incentive payment if you hire an eligible apprentice aged 16–18, or 19–25 with an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan or who is a care leaver. (Eligibility and programmes can change - always check the live guidance.)
  Payments for hiring a young apprentice
• Employer National Insurance relief: you may not need to pay employer Class 1 NICs for eligible apprentices under 25 (up to the relevant earnings threshold).
  Paying employer National Insurance contributions for apprentices under 25 (HMRC guidance)

Veterans – another bit of help for employers

If you hire a veteran into their first civilian job after leaving the armed forces, you may be able to claim 12 months of 0% employer National Insurance on their earnings (up to the relevant annual threshold used for the relief).

More info: National Insurance contributions relief for veterans (GOV.UK)

Why business owners need to stay sharp

HMRC doesn’t take kindly to underpayment - even small mistakes can trigger back pay, penalties, and potentially being named publicly. Make sure your payroll system is updated, especially if you employ part-time or casual staff who work varying hours.