Minimum wage rates from 1 April 2027: £13.21 for 21+, £11.27 for 18–20, £8.31 for under-18s and apprentices. What each rise costs employers per worker.
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Confirmed 28 October 2026
National Living Wage rises to £13.21 an hour from 1 April 2027
Every rate goes up 3.9%: £13.21 (21 and over), £11.27 (18 to 20), £8.31 (under 18 and apprentices). A full-time worker on the National Living Wage costs an employer about £1,151 more a year.
The government accepted the Low Pay Commission’s recommendations in full on 28 October 2026, the day of the Budget. The new rates apply from 1 April 2027. Until then, the current 2026/27 rates still apply, so nothing changes on your payroll yet.
| Worker | From 1 April 2027 | Now (2026/27) | Increase |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Living Wage (21 and over) | £13.21/hr | £12.71/hr | +50p (3.9%) |
| 18 to 20 year old rate | £11.27/hr | £10.85/hr | +42p (3.9%) |
| 16 to 17 year old rate | £8.31/hr | £8.00/hr | +31p (3.9%) |
| Apprentice rate | £8.31/hr | £8.00/hr | +31p (3.9%) |
| Accommodation offset | £11.53/day | £11.10/day | +43p (3.9%) |
Source: GOV.UK, “Minimum wage rates for 2027”, published 28 October 2026.
Unlike the last two years, every band rises by the same 3.9%. In April 2026 the 18 to 20 rate jumped 8.5% as the government moved towards a single adult rate. This year the gap between the 18 to 20 rate and the National Living Wage stays the same in percentage terms.
Ready to calculate? Get your exact employee cost figures.
Open calculatorThe examples below are for a full-time worker on 37.5 hours a week, 52 weeks a year (1,950 paid hours). They use the confirmed 2027/28 employer NI rules (15% above £5,000, unchanged at the Budget). Pension is at the current qualifying earnings band of £6,240 to £50,270, because the 2027/28 pension thresholds have not been announced yet.
| Cost | 2026/27 | 2027/28 | Increase |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual wage | £24,785 | £25,760 | +£975 |
| Employer NI (15% above £5,000) | £2,968 | £3,114 | +£146 |
| Minimum employer pension (3%) | £556 | £586 | +£30 |
| Total cost to the employer | £28,309 | £29,460 | +£1,151 |
That is £476.63 a week becoming £495.38, or about £2,065 a month becoming £2,147, before tax. The Employment Allowance (still £10,500 for 2027/28) can cover the employer NI for the first few employees if you are eligible.
| Cost | 2026/27 | 2027/28 | Increase |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual wage | £21,158 | £21,977 | +£819 |
| Employer NI | £0 | £0 | — |
| Employer pension | £0 | £0 | — |
| Total cost to the employer | £21,158 | £21,977 | +£819 |
Two reliefs keep this cheaper than it looks. Employers pay no NI for employees under 21 on earnings up to £50,270 a year. And automatic enrolment into a workplace pension starts at age 22, so there is no compulsory employer contribution. If an 18 to 20 year old asks to join your pension scheme, you must enrol them, and the 3% employer minimum then applies: about £448 a year now and £472 from April 2027.
A full-time worker on the £8.31 rate earns £16,205 a year, up £605 from £15,600. There is no employer NI for under-21s, or for apprentices under 25 earning up to £50,270. Most will be below the auto-enrolment age or earnings trigger, so the wage rise is usually the whole cost.
To run these numbers for your own staff, including part-time hours and a pension above the minimum, use the employee cost calculator. To check any salary against the minimum wage for each age band, use the hourly rate calculator.
The rates apply from the first pay reference period that starts on or after 1 April 2027. For monthly-paid staff whose pay period runs with the calendar month, that is the April 2027 pay run. For weekly-paid staff, it is the first week that starts on or after Thursday 1 April 2027.
Note that 1 April comes five days before the 2027/28 tax year starts on 6 April. The minimum wage rise follows its own date; the tax and NI changes follow the tax year.
The same Budget left employer National Insurance at 15% above £5,000 and the Employment Allowance at £10,500. Statutory Sick Pay and Statutory Maternity Pay rise 3.5% from April 2027, with the exact weekly figures still to be published. Every confirmed figure is on our UK employer rates 2027/28 page, updated as each one is announced.
£13.21 an hour for workers aged 21 and over, from 1 April 2027. That is a 50p (3.9%) rise from £12.71.
£11.27 an hour from 1 April 2027, up 42p from £10.85. Under-18s and apprentices get £8.31.
For a full-time adult worker on 37.5 hours a week, about £1,151 a year: £975 in wages, £146 in employer NI and £30 in minimum pension. For an 18 to 20 year old it is about £819, because there is no employer NI for under-21s and no compulsory pension until 22.
From the first pay reference period that starts on or after 1 April 2027. Until then you pay the current 2026/27 rates.
No. The 28 October 2026 Budget kept employer NI at 15% on earnings above £5,000 a year, and the Employment Allowance at £10,500.
£11.53 a day (£80.71 a week), up from £11.10. It is the most an employer can count towards minimum wage pay for accommodation it provides.
All rates in one printable card: NMW, employer NI, SSP, pension thresholds.