October 2024 Budget

The National Minimum Wage and Employers NI will increase in April 2025

The Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, announced in the October 2024 Budget that the National Minimum Wage will increase by over 6% in April 2025. Employers National Insurance will also increase and the threshold for when Employers National Insurance becomes payable will reduce.

National Minimum Wage Rates

The Government have confirmed that they have accepted the Low Pay Commission’s recommendations on national minimum wage rates to apply from April 2025. For the first time, the Low Pay Commission considered the ongoing cost of living crisis and inflation trends projected up to March 2026. The adult rate is increasing by 6.7% and to bring the young persons rate closer to the adult rate that will increase by a massive 16.3%. From April 2026 the gap between the adult and young workers rate will be closed and giving all workers the same minimum rate of pay regardless of age.

The National Minimum Wage Rates will increase as follows:

Age Range April 2024 Rate April 2025 Rate Rate of Increase Annual Pay
21 and over £11.44 £12.21 £0.77 (6.7%) £25,396.80
18 – 20 £8.60 £10.00 £1.40 (16.3%) £20,800.00
16 – 17 £6.40 £7.55 £1.15 (17.9%) £15,704.80
Apprentices £6.40 £7.55 £1.15 (17.9%) £15,704.80

Figures in the Annual Pay column are based on an employee working 40 hours per week.

Accommodation Offset

The accommodation offset is the limit on how much an employer can charge a minimum wage worker for accommodation. The rate will be £10.66 per day (increase from £9.99) from April 2025.

Employers NI

Employers National Insurance will increase by 1.2% to 15%.

The threshold for paying employer’s National Insurance will reduce from £9,100 to £5,000 per annum.

The freeze on Income Tax thresholds will continue through to 2028 as agreed by the previous government.

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October 2024 Budget

Kathryn

Kathryn Brown is the founder of Kea HR & Recruitment and a CIPD-qualified HR consultant with over 20 years' experience supporting UK employers. She specialises in helping small businesses manage their people, navigate employment law and deal confidently with the HR challenges that come with running a business. Known for her practical, straightforward approach, Kathryn believes good HR advice should make life easier — not bury employers in paperwork.

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