Annual increases to National Minimum Wage and Statutory Payments for 22/23

The following increases to the National Minimum Wage and the rates of statutory payments have taken effect from 1 April 2022:

• National Minimum Wage (age 23 plus – the National Living Wage) to increase from £8.91 to £9.50

• National Minimum Wage (ages 21 to 22) to increase from £8.36 to £9.18

• National Minimum Wage (ages 18 to 20) to increase from £6.56 to £6.83

• National Minimum Wage (under 18) to increase from £4.62 to £4.81

• Apprenticeship Wage to increase from £4.30 to £4.81

• Statutory Maternity Pay and Statutory Adoption Pay will increase from £151.97 to £156.66 per week

• Statutory Paternity Pay, Shared Parental Pay and Parental Bereavement Pay will also increase from £151.96 to £156.66 per week

• Statutory Sick Pay will increase from £96.35 to £99.35 per week.

• The lower earnings limit for calculation of Statutory Sick Pay and statutory leave payments rises from £120 per week to £123 per week.

It is important to check the rates that you are paying employees, particularly those who are salaried and on the lower end of your pay scales to ensure that you are still paying the relevant minimum wage. The way in which you do this is to take their weekly hours x by 52 then take their salary and divide by this amount. For example: 40 hours per week x 52 = 2,080     £13,500 salary / 2080   = £6.49 per hour.