Minimum wage 2026
Check that your employer pays you at least the legal minimum wage. The rates apply from 1 April 2026 across the whole United Kingdom – in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
How we calculate
- The minimum rate depends on age and status. An apprentice gets £8.00 if under 19 or in the first year of the apprenticeship. An older apprentice after the first year gets the rate for their age.
- We compare gross hourly pay – before tax and National Insurance. Tips and service charges do not count towards the minimum wage.
- Accommodation: if you live in accommodation provided by your employer, they can count at most £11.10 a day towards the minimum wage (accommodation offset). If you pay your employer more than this for housing, the excess reduces your pay for minimum wage purposes – in that case, ask Acas.
- Working time also includes training, travel between clients during work and time on call at the workplace. Deductions for uniforms or tools must not take you below the minimum.
Legal basis
- National Minimum Wage Act 1998 – the right to the minimum wage, employer obligations, HMRC enforcement and penalties.
- National Minimum Wage Regulations 2015 – what counts as pay and working time, accommodation, deductions.
- National Minimum Wage (Amendment) Regulations 2026 (SI 2026/357) – rates from 1 April 2026 and the accommodation offset of £11.10 a day.
- An employer who underpays must make up the arrears at current rates; HMRC can impose a penalty of up to 200% of the arrears and name the company publicly.
What to do now
- Talk to your employer – first in writing (email), with the calculation from this tool and your payslips.
- Free Acas advice: phone 0300 123 1100 – confidential, including for people afraid of losing their job. Acas – minimum wage.
- Report it to HMRC – anonymously if you wish: pay complaint (GOV.UK). HMRC can recover arrears going back up to 6 years.
- Keep evidence: payslips, rotas, messages about your hours. Your employer must keep pay records for 6 years.
Frequently asked questions
Is the minimum wage different in Scotland?
No. The legal minimum wage is the same across the whole United Kingdom. The voluntary “Real Living Wage” set by the Living Wage Foundation is different – employers do not have to pay it.
I am self-employed – does this apply to me?
Not if you are genuinely self-employed. But if you work like an employee (fixed hours, instructions, company tools), you may have “worker” status and a right to the minimum wage – ask Acas.
Can my employer deduct the cost of a uniform?
Yes, but only if after the deduction you still earn at least the minimum rate for every hour.
When do the new rates apply?
From 1 April 2026. If your pay period started earlier, the new rate applies from the first full pay period after that date.
Important: the calculator helps you make an initial check of your pay. A final assessment, depending on your contract, working time and deductions, comes from Acas or HMRC. This is not legal advice.
Sources: GOV.UK – minimum wage rates · SI 2026/357 · HMRC – rates 2026/27
Background: City of London, photo Matt Brown / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 · Law and rates as at 25 October 2026
