The minimum wage for workers over 25 will increase to £7.50 in April, an increase of 30p on the rate introduced last year. There will be smaller increases for 18-20 and 21-24 year olds, to £5.60 and £7.05 respectively. The government is moving towards a national minimum wage of £9 per hour for over 25s by 2020.
The minimum wage still lags far behind the amount campaigners say is needed to live in the UK. The Living Wage Foundation’s £8.45 rate (£9.75 in London), paid by nearly 3,000 employers, is calculated based on how much money employees and their families need to live.
