From 1 April 2027, the UK National Living Wage for workers aged 21 and over rises by 3.9%, from £12.71 to £13.21 an hour, an increase of 50p.
The rate for 18 to 20-year-olds (the National Minimum Wage) also rises 3.9%, from £10.85 to £11.27 an hour, and the rate for 16 and 17-year-olds goes from £8 to £8.31. The Treasury says a full-time worker on 35 hours a week gains about £910 a year in gross pay at the 21-and-over rate, or about £760 at the 18 to 20 rate. Around 2.3 million workers are covered, and the rates apply across the whole UK. Apprentices aged 16 to 18, or in the first year of an apprenticeship, will also get £8.31. Because both adult rates rise by the same percentage, the gap between younger and older workers does not narrow this year. The voluntary Real Living Wage, set by the Living Wage Foundation, is higher at £14.10 an hour (£15.45 in London).
Source: BBC News, “How much is the minimum wage going up by?” (updated October 28, 2026)
Image: British one pound coins. Tkbwikmed, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.