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UK Minimum Wage & National Living Wage 2026
Every UK statutory minimum wage rate that applies from 1 April 2026, by worker type — with the year-on-year change, the full historical timeline, and the Gera Living Wage Adequacy Score, computed transparently from real GOV.UK and ONS figures.
What is the UK minimum wage and National Living Wage in 2026?
From 1 April 2026, the UK National Living Wage for workers aged 21 and over is £12.71 per hour — a 4.1% rise from £12.21. The 18-to-20 rate is £10.85, and the under-18 and apprentice rates are both £8.00. Source: GOV.UK National Minimum Wage rates (OGL v3.0). Gera re-dates these annually.
Gera Living Wage Adequacy Score
The April 2026 National Living Wage (£12.71) equals 64.6% of ONS median full-time hourly pay (£19.67, April 2025).
How this is calculatedUK minimum wage rates by worker type (from April 2026)
| Worker type | From April 2026 | April 2025 | Change | Adequacy score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| National Living Wage (21 and over) | £12.71 | £12.21 | +4.1% | 64.6 |
| National Minimum Wage (18 to 20) | £10.85 | £10.00 | +8.5% | 55.2 |
| National Minimum Wage (under 18) | £8.00 | £7.55 | +6.0% | 40.7 |
| Apprentice rate | £8.00 | £7.55 | +6.0% | 40.7 |
All figures are the official statutory hourly rates from GOV.UK, effective 1 April 2026. The under-18 and apprentice rates are both £8.00 in 2026 but remain distinct legal bands.
UK Minimum Wage Calculator
Pick a worker type and your weekly hours to see real gross pay at the statutory minimum from April 2026, using the official GOV.UK rates.
The April 2026 statutory minimum for National Living Wage (21 and over) is £12.71 per hour.
On 37.5 hours/week you would earn about £477 gross per week and £24,785 gross per year before tax and National Insurance.
That rate has a Gera Living Wage Adequacy Score of 64.6 — it equals 64.6% of the ONS median full-time hourly pay of £19.67 (April 2025).
National Living Wage over time
The top adult rate has risen from £8.21 in April 2019 to £12.71 from April 2026. See the full historical timeline →
UK Minimum Wage — FAQ
- What is the UK National Living Wage in 2026?
- From 1 April 2026 the National Living Wage (for workers aged 21 and over) is £12.71 per hour, up 4.1% from £12.21 the year before. Source: GOV.UK (OGL v3.0).
- What are all the UK minimum wage rates from April 2026?
- National Living Wage (21 and over): £12.71/hour; National Minimum Wage (18 to 20): £10.85/hour; National Minimum Wage (under 18): £8.00/hour; Apprentice rate: £8.00/hour. Effective 1 April 2026. Source: GOV.UK (OGL v3.0).
- When does the UK minimum wage go up?
- Statutory minimum wage rates change once a year, on 1 April. The new rates are set by the Government on the recommendation of the Low Pay Commission, usually confirmed at the Autumn Budget the previous November.
- What is the Gera Living Wage Adequacy Score?
- The Gera Living Wage Adequacy Score expresses a statutory rate as a percentage of ONS median full-time hourly pay (£19.67, April 2025 ASHE). For the 2026 National Living Wage of £12.71, the score is 64.6 — meaning the minimum wage equals 64.6% of median pay.
- How much is the National Living Wage per year?
- At £12.71 per hour and a 37.5-hour week, the 2026 National Living Wage works out to roughly £24,785 gross per year before tax and National Insurance. Actual pay depends on contracted hours.
How the Gera Living Wage Adequacy Score is calculated
For a statutory hourly rate r, the Gera Living Wage Adequacy Score is round(r ÷ M × 100, 1), where M is the ONS median gross hourly pay for full-time employees ( £19.67, April 2025, ASHE 2025, released 23 October 2025). A score of 100 would mean the minimum equals median pay; the 2026 National Living Wage scores 64.6, i.e. it is 64.6% of median full-time pay. Both inputs are real published figures — the GOV.UK statutory rate and the ONS median (£39,039 median full-time annual pay for context); nothing is modelled or interpolated.
Get the new minimum wage rates when they change
UK statutory rates change every 1 April. Save your email and we’ll send the new National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage rates as soon as they’re confirmed.
Related on GeraJobs
Source: GOV.UK National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage rates, effective 1 April 2026 (Open Government Licence v3.0). Median pay context: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings 2025 (April 2025 reference period, released 23 October 2025, OGL v3.0). The Gera Living Wage Adequacy Score is computed by GeraJobs from these figures; no figure is modelled or interpolated.