National Minimum Wage: understanding the April 2025 amendments

Following the 2024 Autumn Budget, the Government announced a minimum wage increase to reflect the cost of living under Labour’s Plan to Make Work Pay. These changes will apply from 1 April 2025.

	National Minimum Wage	Increase	Percentage increase
21 and over	£12.21*	£0.77	6.7%
18-20 year old rate	£10.00	£1.40	16.3%
16-17 year old rate	£7.55	£1.15	18%

_{*£25,396.80 per year (based on 40 hours per week)}

To prepare for the amendments: 

• Carry out a full review of salaries before 1 April 2025
• Where necessary, implement increases (and don’t forget to increase wages if a member of staff moves into another age bracket throughout the year)
• Communicate the changes to staff
• Strategically plan your budget to ensure the increases can be accommodated

Benefits of fair and competitive wages:

• Employee satisfaction and loyalty
• Talent attraction and retention
• Increased productivity
• Decreased absence
• Social equity
• Enhanced reputation as a fair employer

Remember, any employer not paying the minimum wage can be fined, so ensure you are compliant before 1 April 2025.