The TL;DR
From 1 April 2026 the National Living Wage is £12.71 an hour for people aged 21 and over. It’s £10.85 for 18–20-year-olds and £8.00 for under-18s and apprentices.
The detail
- Full-time at 37.5 hours, £12.71 an hour is about £24,785 a year.
- The 18–20 rate rose 8.5% this year — the biggest rise of any band.
- If you’re paid less than your legal minimum, you can complain to HMRC for free.
Your 5-minute move
Your 5-minute move
Use the tools and explainers below to check your own numbers.
Related questions
Receipts · checked 9 November 2026