National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage Increases for 2025 Announced
Alan Kitto
Ahead of tomorrow’s budget, the government has this evening announced the increases to the National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage which will take effect from the start of April 2025.
The new National Living Wage rate, which applies to anyone aged 21 and above will be £12.21 per hour (an increase of 6.7%).
The new National Minimum Wage rate for anyone aged 18 to 20 will £10.00 per hour (an increase of 16.2%)
The new National Minimum Wage rate for anyone aged 16 to 17 (and for apprentices) will £7.55 per hour (an increase of 17.9%)
The National Minimum Wage Regulations requires that the prevailing rate of pay is paid for all hours worked in each pay period (a month if the employee is paid monthly) and hence employers wishing to pay 1/12 of an annual salary each month, will need to base the annual salary on a 23 day working month.
Based on a 37.5 hour week this will mean the annual salaries will need to be:
£25,275.00 for anyone aged 21 and above
£20,700.00 for anyone aged 18 - 20
£15,628.50 for an apprentice or anyone aged 16 - 17
This is because that the number of working days in each month varies from 20 to 23.
Employers can opt to pay an employee for the actual hours worked in each month, and between April 2025 and March 2026 this would mean paying employees a total of:
£23,902..00 for anyone aged 21 and above
£19.575.00 for anyone aged 18 - 20
£14,780.00 for an apprentice or anyone aged 16 - 17
These will also be the salary figures where employees are paid weekly.
For more information on this or any other HR matter, please get in touch.