Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

National living wage

The UK government introduced a new minimum wage rate for all but the youngest workers, the national living wage, in 2016. Initially, it was for those aged 25 and over, but it is now for anyone aged 21 and over.

In 2024, the Labour government confirmed plans to apply the wage rate to all adults.

The national living wage (NLW) is compulsory and the Low Pay Commission (LPC) recommends future rises, maintaining it at two-thirds of median hourly earnings and, from 2025, taking into account the cost of living.

The national living wage is different to the Living Wage, a voluntary pay rate independently set by the Living Wage Foundation. The ‘real’ Living Wage is calculated according to the basic cost of living in the UK.


    • National living wage
    • Latest News
    • Equal pay

    Living wage pushes up spring pay settlements

    by Nic Paton 2 Jul 2025
    by Nic Paton 2 Jul 2025

    Pay settlements nudged up slightly in the three months to May, research has suggested, primarily driven by this year’s rise...

    • Benefits
    • National living wage
    • Latest News

    Graduate pay versus the living wage: an HR headache?

    by Nic Paton 25 Jun 2025
    by Nic Paton 25 Jun 2025

    Rising national living wage rates combined with stagnant pay growth now mean many entry-level graduate roles are perilously close to...

    • National living wage
    • Hospitality
    • Latest News

    Capita and PizzaExpress named for minimum wage underpayments

    by Rob Moss 29 May 2025
    by Rob Moss 29 May 2025

    Capita, PizzaExpress, British Airways and Lidl among 518 employers named by government for national minimum wage underpayments.

    • National living wage
    • Latest News
    • Retail

    Next to improve wage-setting transparency after shareholder pressure

    by Adam McCulloch 16 May 2025
    by Adam McCulloch 16 May 2025

    The clothing giant saw 26.9% of shareholder votes supporting a resolution that called for more information about how many of its staff are being paid below the ‘real’ Living Wage.

    • Absence
    • National living wage
    • Financial penalties

    Top 10 HR questions April 2025: increases to wages and tribunal awards

    by Brightmine 2 May 2025
    by Brightmine 2 May 2025

    April saw increases in the potential compensation tribunals can award, including guidelines on 'injury to feelings' awards.

    • National living wage
    • Latest News
    • Economics, government & business

    Most businesses will need to adjust wages in April

    by Adam McCulloch 28 Mar 2025
    by Adam McCulloch 28 Mar 2025

    Data shows nearly 60% of organisations will need to raise wages, with three-quarters expecting challenges around pay gaps between job levels.

    • National living wage
    • Construction
    • Apprenticeships

    HR and businesses respond to Spring Statement

    by Jo Faragher 26 Mar 2025
    by Jo Faragher 26 Mar 2025

    Today’s Spring statement did much to add cost and regulation to employers, and not enough to support growth and skills, observers say.

    • Adoption
    • National living wage
    • Neonatal leave

    April 2025: What’s coming up for HR?

    by Jo Faragher 21 Mar 2025
    by Jo Faragher 21 Mar 2025

    Although the Employment Rights Bill is still making its way through parliament, there are a number of obligations coming into force this April.

    • National living wage
    • NHS
    • Latest News

    Pharmacies to work to rule over higher employment costs

    by Rob Moss 18 Mar 2025
    by Rob Moss 18 Mar 2025

    National Pharmacy Association advises 6,000 member pharmacies to work to rule, if sufficient funding is not delivered by government.

    • National living wage
    • CIPD
    • Zero hours

    CIPD calls for Employment Rights Bill clarity

    by Kavitha Sivasubramaniam 6 Mar 2025
    by Kavitha Sivasubramaniam 6 Mar 2025

    The CIPD is urging the government to provide clarity for employers as new amendments to the Employment Rights Bill are unveiled.

    • National living wage
    • Latest News
    • Retail

    Lidl announces pay rise from March 2025

    by Zoe Wickens 11 Feb 2025
    by Zoe Wickens 11 Feb 2025

    Lidl is giving its 28,000 hourly-paid employees a pay rise from March 2025, ahead of the increase in the national living wage.

    • National living wage
    • Latest News
    • Economics, government & business

    M&S boss backs call to phase in employers’ NIC increase

    by Rob Moss 10 Feb 2025
    by Rob Moss 10 Feb 2025

    Marks and Spencer boss Stuart Machin repeats call on government to phase in increase to employers’ national insurance contributions (NICs).

    • Age discrimination
    • National living wage
    • Latest News

    Football club faces modern slavery claim

    by Rob Moss 7 Feb 2025
    by Rob Moss 7 Feb 2025

    Crawley Town FC, according to the Guardian, asked kitman to work 100 hours a week for no extra pay.

    • National living wage
    • Business performance
    • Latest News

    Employer tax hikes fuel jump in ‘distressed’ firms

    by Jo Faragher 24 Jan 2025
    by Jo Faragher 24 Jan 2025

    Concerns around an increase in employer taxes have contributed to a record jump in the number of UK businesses in financial distress.

    • National living wage
    • Latest News
    • Minimum wage

    Cost of employing low-wage staff to hit record high

    by Jo Faragher 3 Jan 2025
    by Jo Faragher 3 Jan 2025

    The cost of employing low-wage workers will hit a record high in 2025, according to analysis by the Centre for Policy Studies.

Newer Posts
Older Posts

  • Empowering working parents and productivity during the summer holidays SPONSORED | Businesses play a...Read more
  • AI is here. Your workforce should be ready. SPONSORED | From content creation...Read more

Personnel Today Jobs
 

Search Jobs

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2025

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2025 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+