2018’s Minimum Wage Changes

2018’s Minimum Wage Changes

So April 1st has come back around, and with it comes changes to the National Living Wage. Rejoice!

For those unaware, the National Living Wage is the minimum wage that all people over the age of 25 receive. The National Living Wage and the National Minimum Wage (or NLW/NMW respectively) is reviewed and altered at the beginning of every new tax year, in April. Of course, as the cost of living rises, so do our wages. In the past twenty years, the National Minimum Wage has become more than double it’s 1999 counterpart of ￡3.60!

Below are this year’s National Minimum Wage changes, with the previous year’s rate for comparison:

• For those 25 and over, the 2017 NMW of ￡7.50/hour will increase to ￡7.83/hour.
• For those between the ages of 21 and 24, the 2017 pay of ￡7.05/hour will increase to ￡7.38/hour.
• If between the ages of 18 and 20, the 2017 pay of ￡5.60/hour will increase to ￡5.90/hour.
• And those between the ages of 16 and 17, the 2017 pay of ￡4.00/hour will increase to ￡4.20/hour.

To be eligible for the NMW, you must be at least school leaving age. To receive the National Living Wage, you must be working and 25 years old or older. (Of course, you can always be paid more than the amount you are eligible for, though it is unlawful to be paid less than your corresponding age bracket.)

What About The Apprentice Wage Though?

Good question: apprenticeships operate under slightly different circumstances.

Apprentices are entitled to a different pay, called Apprenticeship Wages. This rate also changes every April, and this year has risen from ￡3.50 per hour to ￡3.70 per hour.

Apprentices are entitled to this if:

• They’re under 19 years old.
• OR they are over 19 years old, but still in the first year of their apprenticeship. If they are in their second year or beyond, they are entitled to the minimum for their age bracket.

For example, if a 23-year-old is in the 1st year of their apprenticeship, they can receive the apprenticeship pay of ￡3.70 per hour. However, if they have reached the second year of their apprenticeship they are entitled to receive nothing less than their ’21 to 24′ minimum pay of ￡7.05 per hour.

If you have any other questions about the National Minimum Wage and how it affects you, you can always visit the .gov.uk site for the facts. You can also call us on 01440 763021 or contact us through the site for any questions you might have, we’ll always try to help!

Phone: 01440 763 021 Email: [email protected]

Address: 6 Jubilee Walk, Haverhill, Suffolk, CB9 8DA