National Minimum Wage Rates to Increase

From 1 October 2010 the National Minimum Wage (NMW) is to increase again.  All workers are entitled to the NMW including casual workers, part-time workers, workers on short-term contracts and workers employed by sub-contractors, agency workers and homeworkers regardless of how long they have worked for the employer. 

There are four different rates of pay under the NMW:

• for workers aged 21 and over, the NMW will increase from £5.80 to £5.93 per hour
• for workers aged between 18-20, the NMW will increase from £4.83 to £4.92 per hour
• for workers aged 16 (who are above school leaving age) and 17, the NMW will increase from £3.57 to £3.64 per hour
• a new rate of NMW will be introduced from 1 October 2010, for apprentices under 19 or 19 and over in the first year of apprenticeship the NMW will be £2.50 per hour.

If a worker believes that they may be being paid less than the NMW they can make either an anonymous or a named complaint to the HMRC National Minimum Wage Compliance team. 

A fact sheet on the NMW is available for download. Click here for download...

Further information on the NMW is available from your local CAB or from the Pay & Work Rights Helpline on 0800 917 2368.