NMWM03030 - National Minimum Wage rates: 21 - 22 year old rate

Relevant legislation

The legislation that applies to this page is as follows:

  • National Minimum Wage Regulations 2015, regulations 4 and 4A

Historic position

From 1 April 2016 to 31 March 2021 most workers aged 21 to 24 (inclusive) were entitled to the 21-24 year-old National Minimum Wage rate.

From 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2024 most workers aged 21 to 22 (inclusive) were entitled to the 21-22 year-old National Minimum Wage rate.

From 1 April 2024, most workers aged 21 and over qualify for the National Living Wage. There is no separate 21-22 rate for pay reference periods starting on or after this date (see (NMWM03020).

Entitlement to the age-based rate depended solely on age and employers may have needed to ask workers to provide proof of age (for example, sight of a birth certificate or passport).

Some groups of workers in this age range qualify at a different rate, such as apprentices aged 19 and over and still in the first 12 months of their apprenticeship (see NMWM03065).

Prior to the introduction of the “the National Living Wage rate” on 1 April 2016 (NMWM03020), the main rate applied to everyone from age 21.

For pay reference periods starting;

  • On or after 1 April 2016 and before 1 April 2021, when a worker reached 25, they became entitled to the National Living Wage from the first pay reference starting on or after their 25th birthday.
  • On or after 1 April 2021 and before 1 April 2024, when a worker reached 23, they became entitled to the National Living Wage from the first pay reference starting on or after their 23rd birthday.

General rules on uprating and the date changes of rate apply are set out at NMWM03110).