Increases to minimum wage rates from 1 April 2026
New rates
The increases to the national living wage (NLW) and national minimum wage (NMW) hourly rates that will apply from 1 April 2026 have been announced and are as follows:
1. The NLW, payable to workers aged 21 and over, will rise from £12.21 to £12.71.
2. The NMW rate for workers aged 18 to 20 will rise from £10.00 to £10.85.
3. The NMW rate for workers aged 16 and 17 will rise from £7.55 to £8.00.
4. The NMW rate for apprentices under 19, or aged 19 and over and in the first year of their apprenticeship, will rise from £7.55 to £8.00.
IN SUMMARY
The NLW hourly rate for workers aged 21+ will be £12.71, the NMW rate for those aged 18 to 20 will be £10.85 and the NMW rates for workers aged 16 to 17 and apprentices will be £8.00.
Statutory payment rates for 2026/27
Revised rates
The government has set out the following increases to the statutory payment rates for 2026/27:
1. The standard weekly rates of statutory maternity pay (SMP), statutory adoption pay (SAP), statutory paternity pay (SPP), statutory shared parental pay (shpp), statutory parental bereavement pay (SPBP) and statutory neonatal care pay (SNCP) will increase from £187.18 to £194.32 and the weekly earnings threshold for qualifying for these payments will rise from £125 to £129.
and
2. The standard weekly rate of statutory sick pay (SSP) will increase from £118.75 to £123.25 (the earnings threshold for qualifying for SSP is to be removed from 6 April 2026) These rates will be confirmed once an Order is made and approved.
Effective dates
The increases to SMP, SAP, SPP, ShPP, SPBP and SNCP will probably take effect for payment weeks commencing on or after Sunday, 5 April 2026. SSP will increase from 6 April 2026.
IN SUMMARY
From April 2026, the standard weekly rates of SMP, SAP, SPP, ShPP, SPBP and SNCP will increase to £194.32 and the standard weekly rate of SSP will increase to £123.25.
Please contact our Payroll Department for further related matters relating to minimum wage rates and payroll matters.
