Millions of workers will have had a wage increase to £12.21 an hour as new rates came in from the autumn budget.
HMRC has a free calculator where you can check you are being paid properly and the increase has been applied.
Current National Minimum Wage and Living Wage rates
These rates are for the National Living Wage (for those aged 21 and over) and the National Minimum Wage (for those of at least school leaving age). The rates usually change on April 1 each year.
You must be at least:
- school leaving age to get the National Minimum Wage
- aged 21 to get the National Living Wage – the minimum wage will still apply for workers aged 20 and under
For workers aged 21 and over the rate is £12.21, for age 18-20 it’s £10, for under 18s and apprentices it’s now £7.55.
National Minimum Wage Apprentice rate
Apprentices are entitled to the apprentice rate if they’re either:
- aged under 19
- aged 19 or over and in the first year of their apprenticeship
However, it’s worth noting that apprentices are entitled to the minimum wage for their age if they both:
- are aged 19 or over
- have completed the first year of their apprenticeship
How to check you’re getting the National Minimum Wage or Living Wage
The free gov.uk calculator is here and can be used free to check your rates are correct.
If they aren’t, you can make a complaint about your employer or employment agency, or complain on behalf of someone else.
Your complaint will be directed to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), if it’s about the National Minimum Wage or Living Wage.
You can also:
Acas provides free and completely confidential advice to employers, employees and their representatives on employment rights, best practice and policies, and resolving workplace conflict.
Recommended reading:
Check what your HMRC tax code means
Your pay slip will also contain your tax code for 2025 to 2026. It’s worth checking this and making sure it’s accurate, so you don’t pay too much or too little tax.
You may also want to use the tax code checker as your wages increase to find out:
- what the numbers and letters in your tax code mean
- what your personal allowance for this tax year is listed as
- how much tax you will pay
- what you may need to do next
Report any issues to your manager or payroll team as soon as possible.
