WIREDGOV

Commenting on the new national minimum wage rates which come into force today (Sunday), TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said:

“It’s good that the minimum wage is rising above inflation, but it needs a serious boost in the coming years.

“We need to get it to £10 an hour as soon as possible. At the moment its not even on track to reach £9 an hour by 2020 – the amount promised by George Osborne.

“In-work poverty remains a huge problem in Britain. Today’s rises shouldn't cloud that fact.”

Editors note

• *16-year olds above school leaving age
• **Apprentices aged 16-18 and older apprentices in the first year of their apprenticeships. Other apprentices are entitled to the appropriate aged based rate.
• The national minimum wage is actively enforced by HM Revenue and Customs. Contact the ACAS helpline: www.gov.uk/pay-and-work-rights; Phone 0300 123 1100 .
• The real Living Wage is a voluntary standard that is accredited by the Living Wage Foundation. The current rates are £10.20 per hour in London and £8.75 in the rest of the UK. The government refers to the minimum wage rate for over 25s as “the national living wage”. This name has been the source of some confusion.
• The latest ONS inflation figures show CPI 2.5% higher than the year before. Inflation is expected to average of 2.4% during 2018 (Office of Budget Responsibility forecast, March 2018).