Increase in the national minimum wage rate
Note: This is our original regulation update text, published on 28 July 2009. Unlike the rest of our site, this archived material is not updated if the law changes.
For an overview of current law in this area, see our guide: National minimum wage - the basics and who is entitled to it
Relevant to
Employers throughout the UK
Took effect on
1 October 2009
From 1 October 2009, new national minimum wage (NMW) rates will come into force. The NMW applies to nearly all workers and sets hourly rates below which you must not allow pay to fall.
For pay reference periods beginning on or after 1 October 2009, you will have to pay all eligible workers the following:
- £5.80 an hour to workers aged 22 and above
- £4.83 an hour to workers aged 18-21
- £3.57 an hour to workers aged below 18 who are no longer of compulsory school age
The daily accommodation offset
You will be able to offset from the NMW an amount of £4.51 per day for each day that you provide a worker with living accommodation.
Ineligibility for the NMW for those taking part in certain EC programmes
You will not have to pay the NMW to someone undertaking a work placement as part of the European Community Erasmus Programme or Comenius Programme in respect of work they do as part of either of the schemes.
Full title of regulation
National Minimum Wage Regulations 1999 (Amendment) Regulations 2009 (SI 2009/1902)
Actions
- Download guidance on the national minimum wage regulations from the Office of Public Sector Information (OPSI) website (PDF, 303K) - Opens in a new window
- For an overview of current law in this area, see our guide: National minimum wage - the basics and who is entitled to it
- Get a personalised list of regulations from our Regulation checklist
