From 1 October 2016, the minimum wage rates increased as follows:
| Worker category | Minimum wage per hour (from 1 October 2016) |
Minimum wage per hour (from 1 April 2016 to 30 September 2016) |
| 25 and over | £7.20 | £7.20 |
| 21 to 24 | £6.95 | £6.70 |
| 18 to 20 | £5.55 | £5.30 |
| 16 to 17 | £4.00 | £3.87 |
| Apprentice | £3.40 | £3.30 |
For workers aged over 25, the rate did not change. This is the new “national living wage” which came into force on 1 April 2016 at a rate of £7.20 an hour.
From April 2017, all national minimum wage rates, including the national living wage, will be updated at the same time.