VERIFIED 22 JUNE 2026against gov.uk/national-minimum-wage-ratesby Oliver Wakefield-Smith
minimumwagerates.co.uk

Rate of record

UK minimum wage 2022

The 2022/23 rates effective 1 April 2022 took the NLW past £9.50, a 6.6% uplift. The 23+ NLW threshold was in force.

Rates effective 1 April 2022

  • NLW (then-current threshold): £9.50/hr
  • 18-20 (or development rate): £6.83/hr
  • 16-17: £4.81/hr
  • Apprentice: £4.81/hr
  • Accommodation offset: £8.70/day

Primary source: gov.uk announcement

Uplift vs 1 April 2021

  • NLW: +6.6% (£0.59)
  • 18-20: +4.1%
  • 16-17: +4.1%
  • Apprentice: +11.9%

Context

The 2022 uplift was set in autumn 2021, before the worst of the inflation spike, which is why the cash floor lagged CPI by the end of the financial year.

23+ NLW band. NLW uplift +6.6%.

Full ledger including this year

Effective21+ NLWYoY18-2016-17ApprenticeOffset / day
1 April 2026£12.71+4.1%£10.85£8.00£8.00£11.10
1 April 2025£12.21+6.7%£10.00£7.55£7.55£10.66
1 April 2024£11.44+9.8%£8.60£6.40£6.40£9.99
1 April 2023£10.42+9.7%£7.49£5.28£5.28£9.10
1 April 2022£9.50+6.6%£6.83£4.81£4.81£8.70
1 April 2021£8.91+2.2%£6.56£4.62£4.30£8.36
1 April 2020£8.72+6.2%£6.45£4.55£4.15£8.20
1 April 2019£8.21+4.9%£6.15£4.35£3.90£7.55
1 April 2018£7.83+4.4%£5.90£4.20£3.70£7.00
1 April 2017£7.50+4.2%£5.60£4.05£3.50£6.40
1 April 2016£7.20 - £5.30£3.87£3.30£5.35
1 October 2015 - - £5.30£3.87£3.30£5.35
1 April 1999 - - £3.00 - - -