Minimum wage rates 2026-27: what £12.71 an hour adds up to a year
The National Living Wage for workers aged 21 and over is £12.71 an hour; at 37.5 hours a week for 52 weeks it comes to £24,785 before tax, a sum worked out here rather than stated by GOV.UK.
The National Living Wage is £12.71 an hour for workers aged 21 and over, according to GOV.UK, which lists the rate as the one in force from April 2026.
The rates for younger workers are lower. GOV.UK gives £10.85 for those aged 18 to 20. For those under 18 the rate is £8, and the apprentice rate is also £8. The rates change on 1 April every year, the government site says, and the current set came into force on 1 April 2026.
| who | rate | rise on a year earlier |
|---|---|---|
| 21 and over (National Living Wage) | £12.71 | £0.50, or 4.1% |
| 18 to 20 | £10.85 | £0.85, or 8.5% |
| Under 18 | £8 | £0.45, or 6.0% |
| Apprentice | £8 | £0.45, or 6.0% |
What does that add up to in a year?
GOV.UK publishes hourly rates only, so any yearly figure depends on the hours worked. On our count, a worker aged 21 or over on the National Living Wage earns £444.85 a week before tax at 35 hours. At 37.5 hours the figure is £476.63, and at 40 hours it is £508.40.
Over 52 weeks, those weekly sums come to £23,132 at 35 hours and £24,785 at 37.5 hours. At 40 hours it is £26,437. For the 18-to-20 rate at 40 hours, the same sum is £22,568. These are gross totals before tax, they assume a full 52 weeks of pay, and they are not figures the government has published.
| hours a week | weekly | 52 weeks |
|---|---|---|
| 35 | £444.85 | £23,132 |
| 37.5 | £476.63 | £24,785 |
| 40 | £508.40 | £26,437 |
Who gets the apprentice rate?
Apprentices are entitled to the apprentice rate if they are aged under 19, or aged 19 or over and in the first year of their apprenticeship, GOV.UK says. Once an apprentice aged 19 or over has completed that first year, the minimum wage for their age applies instead.
GOV.UK’s own example is an apprentice aged 21 who has completed the first year: the minimum hourly rate is £12.71.
How does accommodation count?
An employer who provides accommodation can take it into account when the minimum wage is calculated, GOV.UK says. From April 2026 the accommodation offset is £11.10 a day, or £77.70 a week.
If the charge for the accommodation is above that rate, the difference is taken off the worker’s pay for minimum wage purposes. If the charge is at or below it, there is no effect on pay. If the accommodation is free, the offset rate is added to the worker’s pay. GOV.UK says no other company benefit, such as food or a car, counts towards the minimum wage.
When did the rates last change, and what comes next?
The Low Pay Commission, the independent body that advises the government on the rates, submitted its recommendations on 27 October 2025, and the government accepted them at the Autumn Budget on 26 November, according to the Commission’s announcement of 1 April 2026. The year before, from April 2025, the National Living Wage was £12.21.
In the same announcement, the Commission said it was beginning to gather evidence for recommendations “later this year” and had published a consultation on future rates.
Questions and answers
What is the minimum age for the minimum wage and for the National Living Wage?
GOV.UK says a worker must be at least school leaving age to get the National Minimum Wage, and aged 21 to get the National Living Wage.
Where can I check whether I am being paid enough?
GOV.UK has a minimum wage calculator. It says workers who think they are not getting the minimum wage can contact Acas.
