Low Pay Commission Report 2025 - Minimum Wage Rates from April 2026
Summary
The Low Pay Commission published its 2025 annual report containing the evidence and analysis underpinning minimum wage rate recommendations for April 2026. The government accepted all recommendations in the Autumn Budget. The National Living Wage (21+) will increase by £0.50 to £12.71 (4.1%) from 1 April 2026. Youth rates also increase: 18-20 year olds rise to £10.85 (8.5%), while 16-17 year olds and apprentices both move to £8.00 (6.0%).
What changed
The Low Pay Commission's 2025 annual report provides the analytical basis for minimum wage rate changes taking effect 1 April 2026. The report covers the National Living Wage for workers aged 21 and over (£12.71), the 18-20 Year Old Rate (£10.85), 16-17 Year Old Rate (£8.00), Apprentice Rate (£8.00), and Accommodation Offset (£11.10).
Affected parties including employers, HR departments, and payroll administrators should ensure systems are updated to reflect these new rates before the April 2026 implementation date. The largest percentage increase applies to the 18-20 Year Old Rate at 8.5%, reflecting ongoing progress toward harmonising youth rates with the National Living Wage.
What to do next
- Monitor minimum wage rates effective 1 April 2026
- Update payroll systems for new rate bands
- Ensure compliance with National Living Wage and youth minimum wage requirements
Archived snapshot
Apr 16, 2026GovPing captured this document from the original source. If the source has since changed or been removed, this is the text as it existed at that time.
Research and analysis
Low Pay Commission Report 2025
The Low Pay Commission's annual report sets out in full the evidence and analysis which informed recommendations for minimum wage rates from April 2026.
From: Low Pay Commission Published 2 February 2026 Last updated 18 March 2026
— See all updates Get emails about this page
Documents
Low Pay Commission Report 2025
PDF, 2.53 MB, 287 pages
Data Tables for the Low Pay Commission 2025 Report
MS Excel Spreadsheet, 921 KB
This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.
Request an accessible format.
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email lpc@lowpay.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.
2025 local authority and region and national coverage data
MS Excel Spreadsheet, 58.3 KB
This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.
Request an accessible format.
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email lpc@lowpay.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.
Low Pay Commission Report 2025 (HTML)
HTML
Details
The Low Pay Commission’s annual report contains the evidence and analysis which underpin Commissioners’ recommendations to the Government of minimum wage rates for 2025.
The LPC submitted its recommendations to the Government in November 2025. They were accepted in full and announced in the Autumn Budget. The rates which will come into force from 1 April 2026 are as follows.
| NMW Rate from April 2026 | Increase | Percentage increase | |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Living Wage (21 and over) | £12.71 | £0.50 | 4.1 |
| 18-20 Year Old Rate | £10.85 | £0.85 | 8.5 |
| 16-17 Year Old Rate | £8.00 | £0.45 | 6.0 |
| Apprentice Rate | £8.00 | £0.45 | 6.0 |
| Accommodation Offset | £11.10 | £0.44 | 4.1 |
We have also published final reports from research projects we commissioned to inform this report.
Published 2 February 2026 Last updated 18 March 2026 show all updates
1.
18 March 2026
A HTML version of the report has been published. In addition, a correction slip has been added to the report PDF.
2.
4 February 2026
Corrected rates for youth, apprentices and accommodation offset
3.
2 February 2026
First published.
Get emails about this page Print this page
Related content
Related changes
Get daily alerts for Uk Low Pay Commission
Daily digest delivered to your inbox.
Free. Unsubscribe anytime.
Source
About this page
Every important government, regulator, and court update from around the world. One place. Real-time. Free. Our mission
Source document text, dates, docket IDs, and authority are extracted directly from LPC.
The summary, classification, recommended actions, deadlines, and penalty information are AI-generated from the original text and may contain errors. Always verify against the source document.
Classification
Who this affects
Taxonomy
Browse Categories
Get alerts for this source
We'll email you when Uk Low Pay Commission publishes new changes.
Subscribed!
Optional. Filters your digest to exactly the updates that matter to you.