Working in the UK: £12.71 an Hour From April 2026
Cross-agency · employment
Quick answer
The UK sets its minimum wage by age. From April 2026 it is £12.71 an hour for workers aged 21 and over, £10.85 for ages 18 to 20, and £8 for under 18s and apprentices. The rates change on 1 April every year.
Every figure on this page is from GOV.UK's own published documents.
Last verified 1 source, listed below
National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage rates1. PHGuides is independent and not affiliated with any agency.
The UK minimum wage is not one number. It depends on your age and on whether you are an apprentice, and it changes on 1 April every year.
The rates from April 2026
| Age or status | Hourly |
|---|---|
| 21 and over (National Living Wage) | £12.71 |
| 18 to 20 | £10.85 |
| Under 18 | £8 |
| Apprentice | £8 |
You must be at least school leaving age to get the National Minimum Wage, and aged 21 to get the National Living Wage. Below 21 the National Minimum Wage still applies at the lower rate.
The apprentice rate, and the trap in it
The apprentice rate of £8 applies if you are either under 19, or 19 or over and in the first year of your apprenticeship.
GOV.UK gives two worked examples that show the whole rule:
| Situation | Entitled to |
|---|---|
| Apprentice aged 21, first year of the apprenticeship | £8 an hour |
| Apprentice aged 21, completed the first year | £12.71 an hour |
That is a difference of £4.71 an hour on the same age, decided entirely by whether the first year is finished. Over a 40-hour week it is £188.40. Both figures are arithmetic on the published rates.
An apprentice moves to the minimum wage for their age once they are 19 or over and have completed the first year. Both conditions must hold.
Recent history
Useful because contracts and older guidance quote superseded numbers.
| Period | 21 and over | 18 to 20 | Under 18 | Apprentice |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 2026 | £12.71 | £10.85 | £8 | £8 |
| April 2025 to March 2026 | £12.21 | £10 | £7.55 | £7.55 |
| April 2024 to March 2025 | £11.44 | £8.60 | £6.40 | £6.40 |
The age threshold itself moved. Since 1 April 2024 the National Living Wage has been for those aged 21 and over. Between 1 April 2021 and 31 March 2024 it was for those aged 23 and over, with a separate rate for 21 to 22. In April 2023 those were £10.42 and £10.18.
So a page quoting a “23 and over” rate is describing rules that ended in 2024.
What this page does not carry
It does not carry NHS pay. Nursing and care roles in the health service are paid under a separate pay structure, not the minimum wage, and GOV.UK’s minimum wage page does not publish it. This page states no nursing salary because that source does not contain one.
It also does not cover visas or sponsorship. Entry and work rights are the UK government’s decision under rules that change independently of pay rates. The work visa requirements guide explains why the Philippine government controls the exit documents but not the visa.
The Philippine side
| Charge | Amount |
|---|---|
| DMW processing, direct hire | USD 100, in peso equivalent |
| DMW processing, manual OEC through a landbased agency | ₱200.00 |
| OWWA membership | USD 25 |
| Pag-IBIG | ₱600.00 |
Before paying anyone else, check the licence. Charging above the allowable schedule is illegal recruitment under RA 10022, carrying 12 years and 1 day to 20 years and a fine of ₱1,000,000.00 to ₱2,000,000.00, and a placement fee loan may not bear interest above 8% per annum.
The recruitment agencies guide covers the licence directory, the deployment bans and placement fees guide covers when no fee may be charged at all, and the OEC guide covers the exit certificate.
Related
The nurse salary in the UK guide covers the NHS Agenda for Change bands, which sit well above this floor, the PEOS guide covers the free pre-employment seminar to take before applying, the working in Australia guide covers a destination where the floor is set by occupation rather than age, and the working in New Zealand guide covers the other main English-speaking option.
Frequently asked questions
- How much is the UK minimum wage?
- From April 2026 it is £12.71 an hour for workers aged 21 and over, £10.85 for ages 18 to 20, and £8 for workers under 18 and for apprentices. The hourly rate depends on your age and whether you are an apprentice.
- What is the difference between the National Minimum Wage and the National Living Wage?
- The National Living Wage is the higher rate for workers aged 21 and over. Below that age the National Minimum Wage still applies. You must be at least school leaving age to get the National Minimum Wage, and aged 21 to get the National Living Wage.
- What rate does an apprentice get?
- The apprentice rate of £8 applies if you are under 19, or aged 19 or over and in the first year of your apprenticeship. Once you are 19 or over and have completed the first year, you move to the minimum wage for your age.
- So an apprentice aged 21 gets £8?
- Only in the first year. GOV.UK gives both examples: an apprentice aged 21 in the first year of their apprenticeship is entitled to £8 an hour, while an apprentice aged 21 who has completed the first year is entitled to £12.71.
- When do the rates change?
- On 1 April every year. The figures on this page are the April 2026 rates. The previous year, from April 2025 to March 2026, the rates were £12.21, £10, £7.55 and £7.55.
- Has the age threshold always been 21?
- No. Since 1 April 2024 the National Living Wage has been for those aged 21 and over. Between 1 April 2021 and 31 March 2024 it was for those aged 23 and over, with a separate 21 to 22 rate.
- Is that what a nurse earns in the UK?
- No. The minimum wage is the legal floor for any job. NHS pay is set by its own pay structure, which GOV.UK's minimum wage page does not carry, so no nursing figure is stated here.
- Does the Philippine side still apply?
- Yes. You still need an Overseas Employment Certificate, OWWA membership and either a licensed agency or a qualifying direct hire, whatever the UK visa position is.