National Minimum Wage
The NMW (National Minimum Wage) and National Living Wage will increase from April 2026.
| 21 and over (National Living Wage) | 18 to 20 | Under 18 | Apprentice* | |
| April 2026 | £12.71 | £10.85 | £8.00 | £8.00 |
| April 2025 | £12.21 | £10.00 | £7.55 | £7.55 |
*the apprentice rate is payable to apprentices under 19 years of age, or apprentices aged 19 or over and in the first year of their apprenticeship.
The accommodation offset rate will also increase from a daily rate of £10.66 to £11.10.
Family leave
These rates will increase from £187.18 to £194.32 from April 2026.
The LEL (Lower Earnings Limit) will increase from £125.00 to £129.00.
The LEL is the amount a person must earn to be eligible for statutory payments.
This increase will apply to statutory:
• Maternity pay
• Adoption pay
• Neonatal care pay
• Paternity pay
• Shared parental pay
• Parental bereavement pay.
Statutory Sick Pay
SSP (Statutory Sick Pay) rates will increase from £118.75 to £123.25 from April 2026.
Proposed reforms under the ERB (Employment Rights Bill), expected to come into force from 6 April 2026, will remove the LEL for SSP purposes.
SSP will be then available to employees, regardless of their weekly earnings, from the first full day of sickness absence and paid at the flat rate of £123.25 or 80% of average weekly earnings, whichever is the lower.
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