Minimum Wages UK 2026/27: Rates and Pay Rules

The statutory rates below apply across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland from 1 April 2026. GOV.UK publishes these rates under the National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage framework.

These are minimum legal rates, not suggested salaries. Employers may pay more through contracts, collective agreements or voluntary schemes such as the independently calculated Real Living Wage.

Your rate is determined mainly by your age on the relevant payday and whether you are a qualifying apprentice. GOV.UK states that a higher age-related rate applies from the first pay reference period beginning on or after the worker reaches the relevant age.

An apprentice aged 19 or over receives the apprentice rate only during the first year of the apprenticeship. After completing that year, the worker must receive the minimum rate for their age.

• Employees and workers: Most are covered, including part-time, casual, agency and zero-hours workers.
• Piece workers: They remain protected, although special fair-rate calculations may apply.
• Interns: An intern who is legally a worker is normally entitled to minimum wage, regardless of the placement's label.
• Self-employed people: Genuinely self-employed contractors are not covered, but HMRC and employment tribunals look at the real working arrangement rather than the contract heading.

Unpaid volunteers and certain voluntary workers have limited exemptions. Family members living in an employer's home and some participants in government employment programmes may also fall outside the rules, as explained by GOV.UK.

A headline hourly rate can appear compliant while unpaid time or deductions pull actual minimum-wage pay below the legal floor. HMRC assesses pay over the worker's pay reference period, which is usually the interval covered by the wage payment and cannot exceed one month.

Step-by-step check

1. Add the pay that counts for minimum-wage purposes during the pay reference period.
2. Subtract deductions or expenses that reduce minimum-wage pay, including certain work-related purchases.
3. Add all working time that legally counts, not just the hours printed on a rota.
4. Divide adjusted pay by counted hours and compare the result with the rate for your category.

Depending on the type of work, counted time can include mandatory training, time spent travelling between work assignments and periods when a worker must remain at or near the workplace. Ordinary commuting between home and a permanent workplace does not normally count, according to GOV.UK guidance.

Tips paid directly by customers or distributed through a tronc cannot be used by an employer to make up statutory minimum-wage pay. Overtime or shift premiums may increase take-home pay, but the underlying calculation must still comply with the legislation.

If lower earnings are putting pressure on household finances, compare your income against possible support through SupportFund's benefits calculator and use a household budget planner while the pay issue is investigated.

Employer-provided accommodation is treated differently from other benefits in kind. From 1 April 2026, GOV.UK permits no more than the official £11.10 daily accommodation offset to count towards minimum-wage pay.

If the employer charges more than the permitted offset, the excess generally reduces minimum-wage pay. Utilities, furniture and other accommodation-related charges may also affect the calculation where they are connected to the employer's provision of housing.

Most benefits in kind, including meals, childcare and company vehicles, do not count as minimum-wage pay. Salary-sacrifice arrangements can also create a breach if the reduced cash pay falls below the applicable statutory minimum, even where the employee agreed to the arrangement.

Practical tip: Compare gross pay, hours and deductions for each pay period separately. Averaging a good month against an underpaid month can conceal a breach because minimum-wage compliance is tested by pay reference period.

Start by saving payslips, bank statements, contracts, clocking records, rotas and messages about early starts, closing duties or training. Set out the disputed pay periods and calculations in writing, then ask payroll or the employer to explain and correct them.

If the issue is not resolved, workers can contact Acas for free workplace advice or make a confidential complaint to HMRC through GOV.UK. HMRC can investigate, require repayment of arrears and issue financial penalties under the statutory enforcement regime.

A worker may also pursue a claim through an employment tribunal or the civil courts, subject to the applicable legal time limits. Acas Early Conciliation is normally required before starting most tribunal claims, so prompt action matters.

• Do not surrender minimum-wage rights because a contract states a lower rate.
• Do not rely solely on scheduled hours if you regularly open, close, clean, train or wait under employer control.
• Record any negative treatment after raising the concern; workers have legal protection against dismissal or detriment connected with minimum-wage rights.

If missing wages have caused urgent rent, food or energy problems, check emergency household support options. SupportFund.co.uk helps households identify practical safety-net support, reduce essential bills and find the correct route when income suddenly falls short.