Exact date minimum wage will increase to £12.10 an hour

Millions of UK workers can look forward to a significant pay rise as the national living wage is set to increase to £12.10 per hour next April. The government's advisory body on pay, the Low Pay Commission (LPC), has recommended a hike from the current rate of £11.44 an hour for those aged 21 and over, a rate that has been outstripping inflation.

Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner has committed to improving wage standards, stating her intention to "raise the floor on wages."

Upon taking office, Ms Rayner, alongside Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds, directed the LPC to aim for a raise that aligns with living costs while ensuring the national living wage remains at a minimum of two-thirds of median earnings.

READ MORE:Every house with a chimney in England faces £300 fines in September

READ MORE:Mum left dying daughter watching TV quiz show before going to the pub

The LPC has indicated that to keep in step with earnings growth, wages would need to see an approximate 5.8% increase, surpassing their previous estimate of 3.9% from March. This revision could see the National Living Wage jump from its present £11.44 to £12.10 by April 2025.

Furthermore, the LPC has announced plans to use two-thirds of median earnings as a "floor" for future minimum wage recommendations, acknowledging that actual earnings growth could exceed their predictions in 2024, as reported by Birmingham Live.

The government is set to declare an increase in the national living wage as part of its Autumn Statement on Wednesday, which falls this year on October 30.

A spokesperson for the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) disclosed: "We are changing the rules to put more money in working people's pockets. But we have also been clear we need to consider the businesses who pay these wages, employment prospects and the impact on the wider economy, which is what we instructed the Low Pay Commission to do.

"We believe a hard day's work deserves a fair day's pay and that's exactly what our Make Work Pay plans will do working in conjunction with business."

The government is also gearing up to revamp the minimum wage framework, aiming for a unified, authentic living wage by phasing out the current system that applies varying statutory minimums based on age. This would mean that everyone aged 18 and above will be eligible for the same base rate of pay.

Whilst details are forthcoming, the DBT has not specified when this proposed reform will take effect.

Sign up to our main daily newsletter here and get all the latest news straight to your inbox for FREE