What is the national minimum wage and how much is it going up after the Budget?

What is the national minimum wage and how much is it going up after the Budget?

The increase announced by Chancellor John Healey will mean a pay rise for around 2.3 million workers across the UK
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The national minimum wage is set to increase by 49p an hour, in one of the measures announced by Chancellor John Healey in Wednesday’s Budget.

Speaking in the Commons, Mr Healey said that the national minimum wage and national living wage will each rise by 3.9%, taking the rate from over 21s from £12.71 to £13.20.

The measure means a pay rise for around 2.3 million workers across the UK.

The 3.9% raise ends the trend of hiking pay for those aged 18 to 20 on the national minimum wage more than older workers on the national living wage.

John Healey delivering his budget

Mr Healey opened his Budget statement by saying the increase was for “the working people of Britain”.

The Treasury said the uplift represents an increase of £910 to the gross annual earnings of a full-time worker on the National Living Wage.

Unison general secretary Andrea Egan said: “From taxing the banks to grappling with energy bills, there’s much to welcome in this Budget. Making the uplift in mileage rates permanent will make a real difference to public service workers.

“But this was the Government’s first chance to turn the Prime Minister’s historic ambition for a new economic settlement into action. On that count it falls short.”

<p>Almost 500,000 people will benefit from a rise in the Real Living Wage</p>
Around 2.3 million workers across the UK will benefit from the rises

The National Living Wage increased from £12.21 an hour to £12.71 in April this year, and the National Minimum Wage rose from £10 an hour to £10.85.

The new rates announced in the Budget will come into effect in April 2027.

In April, ​Britain's Low Pay Commission, which advises on minimum wage rates, said the National ​Living Wage would probably need to increase by around 3.7% in 2027 to £13.18 an hour to keep up with how it expected average pay to rise.

Original source What is the national minimum wage and how much is it going up after the Budget?

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