From 1 April 2026, the minimum hourly rate you can legally be paid depends on your age. It's £12.71 for the National Living Wage at 21 and over, £10.85 for 18 to 20, and £8.00 for under 18s and most apprentices. This guide sets out every rate, who counts as an apprentice, who the minimum wage does and doesn't cover, and what to do if you're being paid less than you're owed.
Key points
✓The rates change every 1 April. From 1 April 2026: £12.71 for age 21 and over (the National Living Wage), £10.85 for 18 to 20, and £8.00 for under 18s and most apprentices.
✓Almost every worker is entitled to the minimum wage, including part-time staff, casual labourers hired for a single day, agency workers, trainees and au pairs. A specific, shorter list of categories, including the self-employed and company directors, are not.
✓Apprentices only get the lower apprentice rate if they're under 19, or 19 or over and still in the first year of their apprenticeship. Once they turn 19 and finish that first year, they move onto the full rate for their age.
✓A contract term that pays less than the minimum wage is not legally binding. You're still entitled to the correct rate regardless of what your contract says.
✓HMRC enforces the minimum wage on behalf of the Fair Work Agency. It can order an employer to repay arrears and fine them, on top of any claim you bring yourself at the Employment Tribunal.
✓The rate is the same across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Unlike some benefits, there's no devolved variation.
Minimum wage rates from 1 April 2026
Your rate depends on your age on the day you're paid, not on your job title or how long you've worked somewhere (apprentices are the one exception, covered below).
Age
Minimum hourly rate
21 and over (National Living Wage)
£12.71
18 to 20
£10.85
Under 18
£8.00
Apprentice
£8.00
The National Living Wage is simply the name for the top rate, paid to workers aged 21 and over. Everyone under that age gets the National Minimum Wage, at a lower hourly rate. They are not two different schemes.
What changed from April 2025
The rates rise every 1 April. Here's how the rate for each age band moved between the last two increases:
Age
April 2025 to March 2026
From April 2026
21 and over
£12.21
£12.71
18 to 20
£10.00
£10.85
Under 18
£7.55
£8.00
Apprentice
£7.55
£8.00
The apprentice rate: who actually qualifies
The apprentice rate is not simply "the rate for apprentices". You're only entitled to it if you're either:
✓Yes: aged under 19, whatever stage your apprenticeship is at, or
✓Yes: aged 19 or over and still in the first year of your apprenticeship
Once you turn 19 and have completed the first year of your apprenticeship, you move onto the full minimum wage rate for your age, not the apprentice rate. For example, an apprentice aged 21 who has completed the first year of their apprenticeship is entitled to £12.71 an hour, the full National Living Wage, not the apprentice rate.
A common mistake employers make is keeping an apprentice on the apprentice rate throughout the whole apprenticeship. If you're 19 or over and past your first year, check you've moved onto the correct rate for your age.
Who is entitled to the minimum wage
Most people who work for someone else are covered, even in situations that are easy to assume are exceptions. You're entitled to the correct minimum wage if you're:
✓Yes: a part-time worker, or a casual labourer hired for as little as one day
✓Yes: an agency worker
✓Yes: a homeworker paid by the number of items you make
✓Yes: an apprentice, at the apprentice rate if you qualify for it, or your full age rate if you don't
✓Yes: a trainee, or a worker on probation
✓Yes: a disabled worker
✓Yes: an agricultural, foreign, or offshore worker, or a seafarer
✓Yes: a non-family member living in your employer's home who shares in the household's work and leisure and is treated as one of the family, such as an au pair
A contract term that pays less than the minimum wage is not legally binding. You're still entitled to the correct rate regardless of what's written in your contract.
Who is not entitled to the minimum wage
A shorter, specific list of categories fall outside the minimum wage entirely:
✓Yes: self-employed people running their own business
✓Yes: company directors
✓Yes: volunteers or voluntary workers
✓Yes: workers on a government employment programme, such as the Work Programme
✓Yes: members of the armed forces
✓Yes: family members of the employer living in the employer's home
✓Yes: workers younger than school leaving age (usually 16)
✓Yes: higher and further education students on work experience or a work placement of up to one year
✓Yes: people shadowing others at work
✓Yes: workers on government pre-apprenticeship schemes
✓Yes: people on the EU's Leonardo da Vinci, Erasmus+ or Comenius programmes
✓Yes: people working on a Jobcentre Plus Work Trial, for up to 6 weeks
✓Yes: share fishermen, prisoners, and people living and working in a religious community
An unpaid internship or work placement doesn't automatically fall outside the minimum wage. Whether it does depends on what the person actually does and how the arrangement works in practice, not what the employer calls it. Employers offering internships or work experience are expected to check this themselves rather than assume it's exempt.
If you're not being paid the minimum wage
✓Yes: Use GOV.UK's minimum wage calculator for workers to check whether your pay matches the rate for your age, and whether you're owed anything from the previous year.
✓Yes: Call the free, confidential Acas helpline on 0300 123 1100 (Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm) for advice before you raise it with your employer.
✓Yes: Complain to HMRC about your employer or employment agency. HMRC enforces the minimum wage on behalf of the Fair Work Agency: it can investigate, order arrears to be paid back, and fine the employer.
✓Yes: Go directly to the Employment Tribunal yourself. You can also claim unfair dismissal there if you were dismissed over a minimum wage dispute.
HMRC can investigate an employer at any time and ask to see payment records, whether or not a worker has complained. If it finds an employer has underpaid, the employer must repay the arrears in full, on top of any fine.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the minimum wage from April 2026?
From 1 April 2026, the minimum hourly rate is £12.71 for age 21 and over (the National Living Wage), £10.85 for ages 18 to 20, and £8.00 for under 18s and most apprentices.
What's the difference between the National Minimum Wage and the National Living Wage?
They're not separate schemes. The National Living Wage is simply the name for the top rate, paid to workers aged 21 and over. Everyone younger gets the National Minimum Wage, at a lower rate for their age band.
Do apprentices get the minimum wage?
Yes, but at the lower apprentice rate only if they're under 19, or 19 or over and still in the first year of their apprenticeship. An apprentice aged 19 or over who has completed their first year moves onto the full rate for their age instead.
Am I entitled to the minimum wage if I'm self-employed?
No. Self-employed people running their own business, along with company directors, volunteers, and a short list of other categories including armed forces members and family members living in the employer's home, are not entitled to the minimum wage.
Are unpaid interns entitled to the minimum wage?
It depends on what the person actually does, not what the employer calls the arrangement. An internship or work placement doesn't automatically fall outside the minimum wage, and employers offering one are expected to check whether the person is entitled to it.
What can I do if I'm not being paid the minimum wage?
Check your pay against your age using GOV.UK's minimum wage calculator, get free advice from Acas on 0300 123 1100, or complain to HMRC, which enforces the minimum wage on behalf of the Fair Work Agency and can order arrears and fine the employer. You can also go directly to the Employment Tribunal.