On 26 November 2025, the Low Pay Commission (LPC) recommended — and the government accepted — new minimum wage rates to apply from 1 April 2026.
Under the forthcoming increase, the adult National Living Wage (for workers aged 21 and over) will rise from £12.21 to £12.71 per hour, a 4.1 % uplift.
For younger workers, the National Minimum Wage (NMW) also goes up: 18–20-year-olds will see their hourly rate increase to £10.85 (up 8.5 %), and 16–17-year-olds — including first-year apprentices — will now be paid £8.00 per hour (a 6.0 % increase).
In addition — for employers who provide accommodation — the allowable daily “accommodation offset,” which can be deducted when lodging is provided, rises from £10.66 to £11.10 per day.
These changes reflect the LPC’s 2025 remit. The government asked the Commission to recommend rates that, among other things, keep the NLW at or above two-thirds of median earnings while balancing cost-of-living pressures, inflation forecasts, labour-market impact, and business competitiveness between April 2026 and April 2027.
In practice, for a full-time worker on the NLW, the rise to £12.71 would translate into a tangible pay-rise — helping offset some of the continued cost-of-living pressures many households face.