Law Weblog

National Minimum Wage from 1st October 2010

Wednesday 4 August 2010 at 9:42 am | In News | Post Comment See The National Minimum Wage Regulations 1999 (Amendment) Regulations 2010

* the principal rate of the national minimum wage increases from £5.80 to £5.93 per hour;
* the age at which this rate becomes payable is reduced from 22 to 21;
* the rate paid to workers aged between 18 and 20 increases from £4.83 to £4.92 per hour;
* the rate to be paid to workers aged below 18, who have ceased to be of compulsory school age, increases from £3.57 to £3.64 per hour;
* apprentices who (i) are employed under a contract of apprenticeship, or who are engaged under Government arrangements in England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales, (as specified in the NMW Regs 1999 Reg 13(6)(b)), and (ii) are within the first 12 months of that employment or engagement or who have not attained the age of 19, will receive a national minimum wage of £2.50 per hour;
* the per day value of the accommodation amount, which is applicable where an employer provides a worker with living accommodation, increases from £4.51 to £4.61 for each day that accommodation is provided.

Although there is a separate 25p increase in the London living wage to £7.85 per hour, there is no compulsion on London employers to pay more than the national minimum wage.

The Solicitors Regulation Authority has announced that the minimum salary level for trainee solicitors is to remain at the level set last year (£18,590 for those working in Central London – £19,040 recommended – and £16,650 for those working elsewhere in England and Wales – £16,940 recommended.