What is the national minimum wage?
The National Minimum Wage was introduced by government to create fairness in the workplace and ensure decent minimum standards of pay. From 1 October 2007 the National Minimum Wage will increase to: Adult rate for workers aged 22 and over – £5.52 per hour; Development rate for 18-21 year olds – £4.60 per hour;Development rate for 16-17 year olds – £3.40 per hour. Please note The National Minimum Wage does not necessarily apply to training opportunities, for example, Modern Apprenticeships. The National Minimum Wage Helpline provides help and advice to employees and employers on the rules of the national wage and deals with complaints from workers who are being paid below the threshold.
The national minimum wage (NMW) is the hourly rate below which adult workers in most sectors of the British economy must not be paid. Full entitlement applies to workers aged 22 and over, while a lower minimum rate applies to 18 to 21 year-olds. Following a recommendation from the Low Pay Commission, some 16 and 17-year-old workers also qualify for a minimum wage. When it was first introduced in April 1999, the rate of the NMW was £3.60 per hour (£3.00 for 18 to 21-year-olds). At that time, 1.9 million people were believed to be paid less than that. As of October 2008, the national minimum wage is £5.73. The rate for 18 to 21-year-olds is £4.77 and 16 and 17-year-olds must be paid £3.53. The rate of the NMW has been increased every year since its introduction on April 1st 1999. The NMW is enforced by HM Revenue and Customs, which requires employers to pay at least the NMW and to keep records to show that this is being done. Failure to do either is a criminal offence. Along with pay arr
