Salford Citizens Advice
The National Minimum Wage:
The national minimum wage, which is payable by law changes every April.
The new rates for the minimum wage are as follows:
These rates are for the National Living Wage (for those aged 21 and over) and the National Minimum Wage (for those of at least school leaving age). The rates change on 1 April every year.
21 and over 18 to 20 Under 18 Apprentice
April 2024 £11.44 £8.60 £6.40 £6.40
Apprentices:
Apprentices are entitled to the apprentice rate if they’re either:
- aged under 19
- aged 19 or over and in the first year of their apprenticeship
Example:
An apprentice aged 21 in the first year of their apprenticeship is entitled to a minimum hourly rate of £6.40.
Apprentices are entitled to the minimum wage for their age if they both:
- are aged 19 or over
- have completed the first year of their apprenticeship
Example:
An apprentice aged 21 who has completed the first year of their apprenticeship is entitled to a minimum hourly rate of £11.44.
The rules for how the regulations are applied are below:
Who gets the minimum wage:
People classed as ‘workers’ must be at least school leaving age to get the National Minimum Wage. They must be 23 or over to get the National Living Wage.
Contracts for payments below the minimum wage are not legally binding. The worker is still entitled to the National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage.
Workers are also entitled to the correct minimum wage if they’re:
- part-time
- casual labourers, for example someone hired for one day
- agency workers
- workers and homeworkers paid by the number of items they make
- apprentices
- trainees, workers on probation
- disabled workers
- agricultural workers
- foreign workers
- seafarers
- offshore workers
Apprentices:
Apprentices are entitled to the apprentice rate if they’re either:
- under 19
- 19 or over and in the first year of their apprenticeship
Apprentices over 19 who have completed the first year of their apprenticeship are entitled to the correct minimum wage for their age.
Not entitled to the minimum wage:
The following types of workers are not entitled to the National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage:
- self-employed people running their own business
- company directors
- people who are volunteers or voluntary workers
- workers on a government employment programme, such as the Work Programme
- members of the armed forces
- family members of the employer living in the employer’s home
- non-family members living in the employer’s home who share in the work and leisure activities, are treated as one of the family and are not charged for meals or accommodation, for example au pairs
- workers younger than school leaving age (usually 16)
- higher and further education students on work experience or a work placement up to one year
- people shadowing others at work
- workers on government pre-apprenticeships schemes
- people on the following European Union (EU) programmes: Leonardo da Vinci, Erasmus+, Comenius
- people working on a Jobcentre Plus Work trial for up to 6 weeks
- share fishermen
- prisoners
- people living and working in a religious community
Employers who offer internships (sometimes called ‘work placements’ or ‘work experience’) should check if the person is entitled to the minimum wage.
Voluntary work
You’re classed as doing voluntary work if you can only get certain limited benefits (for example reasonable travel or lunch expenses) and you’re working for a:
- charity
- voluntary organisation or associated fundraising body
- statutory body
National Living Wage Calculator:
You can use the minimum wage calculator to check whether the National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage is being paid.
www.gov.uk/am-i-getting-minimum-wage
Contact the Acas helpline to find out if you should be getting the minimum wage. Telephone: 0300 123 1100, Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm.
Salford Citizen Advice is a Real Living Wage employer. The real living wage is what we and other charities think is the actual level of pay that people need to avoid poverty. It is currently set at £12 per hour, for areas outside of London. The real living wage is a voluntary scheme and not a legal requirement.
Tom Togher
April 2024.