This article is presented in association with Supportis who we partner with to provide bespoke HR Consultancy, Employment law and training services.
Click here to download a free NMW increase letter for workers, and here for a letter for 23-year-olds, who are now included in the NLW age bracket.
Age | Rate from 1 April 2019 | Rate from 1 April 2020 | Rate from April 2021 |
Workers aged 25 and over (NLW)* | £8.21 an hour | £8.72 an hour | £8.91 |
Workers aged 21 and over* | £7.70 an hour | £8.20 an hour | £8.36 |
Development rate for workers aged 18-20 | £6.15 an hour | £6.45 an hour | £6.56 |
Young workers rate for workers aged 16-17 | £4.35 an hour | £4.55 an hour | £4.62 |
Apprentices under 19, or over 19 and in the first year of the apprenticeship | £3.90 an hour | £4.15 an hour | £4.30 |
From 2021, the NLW will be extended to cover all adults aged 23 and above.
Key Points
- All workers, except those who are genuinely self-employed, are entitled to receive the NMW/NLW
- Gross pay is used to calculate whether an eligible worker has been paid the minimum wage
- The NMW/NLW is calculated by including most financial awards or payments, but excluding allowances such as regional or on-call allowances, unsocial hours payments, tips and gratuities, or any benefits in kind, with the exception of accommodation up to a specified amount
- Employers can average the hourly rate of pay over the pay period
- Single hourly rates that a worker is entitled to in a pay reference period applies on the first day of that period; for example, if a worker turns 25 on January 25, and their next pay reference period begins on February 1, they will receive the NLW from February 1.
Non-compliance can result in an enforcement notice requiring the employer to pay the difference between what was actually paid and what the worker should have received under the NMW legislation. Further non-compliance could result in the issue of a penalty notice and financial penalties.