Current National Minimum Wage Rates
These rates are for the National Living Wage and the National Minimum Wage from 1 April 2016.
| Year | 25 and over | 21 to 24 | 18 to 20 | Under 18 | Apprentice |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 2016 (current rate) | £7.20 | £6.70 | £5.30 | £3.87 | £3.30 |
When do the Rates Change?
- National Minimum Wage rates change every October.
- National Living Wage rates change every April.
Apprentice Minimum Wage
Apprentices are entitled to the apprentice rate of £3.30 per hour if they’re either:
- under 19
- 19 or over and in the first year of their apprenticeship
All other apprentices are entitled to the minimum wage for their age. If you employ an apprentice, they must be enrolled on an apprenticeship qualification with a College or Training Provider. If you employ an apprentice and they have started work, but you are waiting for a Training Provider to arrange enrollment, you must pay the full NMW for their age until the apprentice is officially enrolled. You may only qualify for the apprentice minimum wage once the apprentice is enrolled.
Who is entitled to the minimum wage?
Workers must be at least school leaving age (last Friday in June of the school year they turn 16) to get the National Minimum Wage.
Workers must be 25 or over to get the National Living Wage.
Contracts for payments below the minimum wage are not legally binding. The worker is still entitled to the National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage.
Workers are also entitled to the correct minimum wage if they’re:
- part-time
- casual labourers, eg someone hired for one day
- agency workers
- workers and homeworkers paid by the number of items they make
- apprentices
- trainees, workers on probation
- disabled workers
- agricultural workers
- foreign workers
- seafarers
- offshore workers
Work experience and internships
You won’t get the National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage if you’re:
- a student doing work experience as part of a higher or further education course
- of compulsory school age
- a volunteer or doing voluntary work
- on a government or European programme
- work shadowing
Voluntary work
You’re classed as doing voluntary work if you can only get certain limited benefits (eg reasonable travel or lunch expenses) and you’re working for a:
- charity
- voluntary organisation or associated fund-raising body
- statutory body
For more info on national minimum wages please visit: https://www.gov.uk/national-minimum-wage
If you have any questions regarding national minimum wages, please visit http://www.acas.org.uk/index.aspx?articleid=4489
