UK Minimum Wage in 2026: How to Check the Rate That Applies to You

Updated October 27, 2026. The UK minimum wage is an hourly legal floor, but the rate that applies to you depends on your age, whether you qualify as an apprentice, and the pay period being checked. From April 1, 2026, the statutory rates are £12.71 for workers aged 21 and over, £10.85 for ages 18 to 20, and £8.00 for eligible workers under 18. The apprentice rate is also £8.00, but it applies only in specific circumstances. Use the steps below to identify your rate and check the pay you actually received.

UK minimum wage rates for 2026

These rates apply from April 1, 2026. The “National Living Wage” is the government’s name for the statutory rate for workers aged 21 and over. “National Minimum Wage” covers the lower age bands and qualifying apprentices. These are hourly minimums; a worker can still be entitled to them when paid a salary, by task, or in another way.

Check the official rate table if you are checking a different date. The rates change each April, so a 2026 figure should not be used to assess a pay period from an earlier year.

First, check whether the rules cover your work

The minimum wage applies to almost all people classed as workers who have reached school-leaving age. This can include part-time, casual, agency, and zero-hours workers. Your job title or the label on an agreement does not settle the question by itself. Some people described as self-employed may in fact have worker status, while genuine self-employed people running their own business are generally outside the minimum-wage rules.

There are exceptions, including volunteers and some voluntary workers, people below school-leaving age, and certain students on course-related work placements. If your status is unclear, read the government’s eligibility guidance before deciding that no rate applies.

Step 1: Match your age and apprenticeship status

For most eligible workers, choose the band that matches your age during the period being checked: 21 and over, 18 to 20, or under 18. Apprentices need one extra check. An apprentice is entitled to the £8.00 rate if they are under 19, or if they are 19 or older and in the first year of their apprenticeship. Once an apprentice is 19 or older and has completed the first year, the rate for their age applies. For example, a 21-year-old apprentice in the first year has a minimum of £8.00; after completing that year, the minimum becomes £12.71.

Age increases can change the result too. When a worker turns 18 or 21, the higher age-band rate is due from the first pay reference period that begins on or after the birthday. A pay reference period is the interval covered by a wage payment, such as a week or a month. The same timing rule matters when annual rates change: an increase applies to the first pay reference period that starts on or after the effective date. If your monthly pay period began before April 1 and ended after it, do not assume the new rate applied to every day in that period. Check the exact start date with the GOV.UK timing guidance.

Step 2: Gather the right hours and pay details

Before calculating an hourly equivalent, collect the payslip for the period, your contract or written pay terms, timesheets or rota, and details of any work-related costs you paid. The minimum wage is checked against a pay reference period, not by comparing an annual salary with an annual total in isolation. The calculation depends on the way the job is paid: hourly or time work, salaried hours, piecework, and other unmeasured work have different rules.

Hours that may count include time you are required to work or remain on standby at or near the workplace, waiting for work to start, required training, and travel between work assignments. A rest break that you actually take generally does not count as working time. The official guide to different types of work and working hours explains which calculation fits your arrangement. If your hours vary, or you are paid per task, avoid relying only on the hourly figure in your contract.

Step 3: Check what counts as minimum-wage pay

Do not use take-home pay alone, and do not assume every payment on a payslip can be counted toward the legal minimum. Tips, service charges, cover charges, and extra pay for unsocial shifts do not count toward minimum-wage pay. In contrast, some costs you must pay to do the job—such as required uniforms, tools, or safety equipment that your employer does not reimburse—can reduce the amount counted for the calculation. This means an advertised hourly rate above the legal floor may still need a closer check.

Employer-provided living accommodation has a special rule called the accommodation offset. From April 2026, the offset is £11.10 a day or £77.70 a week. If the employer charges more than the applicable offset, the excess can reduce pay counted toward the minimum wage; a charge at or below the offset does not reduce it. Free accommodation is treated differently and the offset is added to minimum-wage pay for the calculation. See the official accommodation rules if housing is part of your job.

Step 4: Use the official worker calculator

Once you know the relevant dates, age or apprentice category, pay, hours, and any deductions or accommodation, use the GOV.UK minimum-wage calculator for workers. It can check whether you appear to have received the National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage and whether an employer may owe a payment from the previous year. Enter information for the period you want to check rather than mixing several pay periods together. If a question does not fit your work arrangement, use the linked official calculation guidance instead of guessing at an answer.

If the result suggests you may be underpaid

A calculator result is a prompt to review the records, not a substitute for a complete assessment of a complicated employment arrangement. Check that the right age band and apprentice rule were selected, confirm when the pay period began, and compare the hours worked with the pay allocated to that period. Keep copies of payslips, schedules, time records, and receipts for required work expenses.

GOV.UK advises workers who believe they are below the correct rate to raise the issue with the employer first and, if needed, request the payment records in writing. You can seek free, confidential guidance from Acas, or submit a concern through the official HMRC pay and work rights complaint service. The government’s minimum-wage dispute guidance explains the available next steps.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Using the rate from the wrong year. The 2026 rates started on April 1, 2026.
• Applying the apprentice rate to every apprentice, including a worker aged 19 or older who has completed the first year.
• Ignoring the pay-period start date when an annual increase or birthday changes the applicable rate.
• Counting tips or shift premiums toward the minimum, or overlooking required work costs that can lower counted pay.
• Assuming that being called a contractor or intern automatically removes minimum-wage rights.

To find the rate that applies to you, start with eligibility, match your age and apprenticeship stage, identify the pay period, and then check the pay and hours under the rules for your type of work. The official rates page and worker calculator are the best starting points; seek advice if your employment status or calculation is not straightforward.