Around 2.5 million UK workers will receive a pay rise as the National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage increase on 1 April.
£1,000 a year pay rise for full-time workers following the largest ever uplift to the National Living Wage for workers aged 23 and over
The uplift will benefit workers in the retail, hospitality, and cleaning and maintenance sectors. Apprentices will also get a large 11.9% increase in their minimum hourly pay, with 21 to 22 year-olds seeing an immediate 9.8% rise. The National Living Wage, the minimum wage for over 23 year-olds, will now move up to £9.50 an hour.
In full, the increases from 1 April 2022 are:
Rate April 2022 Current rate (April 21 to March 22) Increase
National Living Wage £9.50 £8.91 6.6%
21-22 year old rate £9.18 £8.36 9.8%
18-20 year old rate £6.83 £6.56 4.1%
16-17 year old rate £4.81 £4.30 4.1%
Apprentice rate £4.81 £4.30 11.9%
Household Support Fund doubled to £1bn.
The Household Support Fund has been doubled to £1bn, with £500m of new funding targeting the most vulnerable. A third of the funding will support families with children, and another third dedicated to pensioners. Local authorities will determine how to best use the remaining funds within the minister’s scope set out. Previously, it has supported households with Food, Clothing, Energy, and Water Costs.