National Minimum Wage
National Minimum Wage increases each April. In preparation for this, please see below details of the current rates and also the rates that come into effect from 1st April 2026:
21 and Over 18 to 20 Under 18 Apprentice
April 2025 (Current Rate) £12.21 £10.00 £7.55 £7.55
April 2026 £12.71 £10.85 £8.00 £8.00
It is important to note, that 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
If employees are receiving a pay rise, it is important that changes to their terms and conditions are confirmed in writing within one month of the change.
It is also important that you consider employees who are on a salary basis to ensure that the increase does not bring them below the National Living Wage.
The Department for Work and Pensions has released a policy paper outlining the benefit and pension rates for the 2026/2027 period. This document sets out the potential changes we could be seeing, these changes are as follows:
Statutory Payments
From 6th April 2026 Statutory Maternity Pay, Statutory Paternity Pay, Statutory Shared Parental Pay, Statutory Adoption Pay, Parental Bereavement Pay and Statutory Neonatal Care Pay will also increase from the current rate of £187.18 to £194.32 per week (or 90% of the employees average weekly earnings if less than £194.32).
Statutory Sick Pay
From 6th April 2026 Statutory Sick Pay which is currently paid at a rate of £118.75 per week will increase to £123.25 per week.
The average gross weekly earnings required to qualify for the various forms of family leave pay is proposed to increase from £125.00 or more per week, to £129.00 or more per week from 6th April 2026.
Written by Lucy Williams FCILEx
Head of Employment Law & Human Resources at Key Group Services Ltd