The National Living Wage (NLW), the National Minimum Wage (NMW), and the Living Wage all sound confusingly similar, so understanding how they affect your business isn’t always easy. We’ve put together this article to help you get to grips with it all, and avoid any penalties as a result of not paying staff the right amount.

If you’re a brand-new employer (or about to hire your first employee!), check out our New Employer’s Guide to help start you off.

What is the National Living Wage?

The National Living Wage (NLW) became law on 1st April 2016, and sets out the minimum hourly rate which some employees must receive. Originally available to those aged 25 or over, it’s currently payable to any employee aged 21 or older and not in the first year of an apprenticeship.

Confusingly, the National Living Wage isn’t linked to the cost of living (that’s where the Living Wage comes in).

National Living Wage (NLW) key facts

• For employees aged 21 and older
• Pay at least £11.44 per hour per hour

Are the National Living Wage and Living Wage the same thing?

Not to be confused with the National Living Wage, the Living Wage is defined by the Living Wage Foundation. It makes clear the hourly rate a worker needs to earn as a minimum to cover the basic cost of living, and is calculated independently.

Unlike the National Minimum Wage (NMW) and National Living Wage (NLW), there’s no statutory obligation for employers to pay the Living Wage.

Employers are able to apply for accreditation from the Living Wage Foundation if all their contracted and directly employed staff are paid the voluntary living wage.

Living Wage key facts

• Rate depends on your location
• Not a statutory obligation

Regional variations of the living wage

The Living Wage rate varies depending on where you are in the UK. For example, the living wage for London, announced by the Mayor of London, is determined by the Greater London Authority’s Living Wage Unit.

The living wage rate for all areas of the UK outside of London is defined by the Centre for Research in Social Policy at Loughborough University. It’s based on a calculation known as the “Minimum Income Standard” for the UK. A review of both the London and National Living Wage rates is carried out in November each year.

The thing to bear in mind here is that the Living Wage, as used by the Living Wage Foundation, is not the same as the compulsory National Living Wage (NLW) which is set on the recommendation of the Low Pay Commission.
 

What is the National Minimum Wage?

The National Minimum Wage Act came into effect on 1st April 1999. Despite many iterations of the policy since then, the concept behind the National Minimum Wage remains the same – to help alleviate the problem of poverty pay.

If your business employs staff, then you must pay them at least the National Minimum Wage by law. Unlike with the Living Wage, there’s no choice.

What are the current rates for National Minimum Wage?

These rates are for the National Minimum Wage (for people of school leaving age or over) in 2024/25. The rates are updated on 1st April each year, so we’ve included the upcoming rates for 2025/26 in our table as a reference.
 

Does minimum wage apply to company directors?

No, directors don’t fall under the rules for National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage unless they have an employment contract defining them as a ‘worker’. It means that company directors can pay themselves a tax-efficient combination of a director’s salary and dividends without breaking the rules around minimum pay.

How does minimum pay affect businesses?

Increasing the rate of minimum wage can have financial implications for employers beyond paying staff. Higher pay might result in more of a squeeze on your profit margins, which can then be a trigger for other changes. For example, you might decide to increase your prices, but this can then affect the way you engage with customers, or even bring your turnover up to the threshold for VAT registration.

Minimum wage rises can also see businesses forced to pay ‘spill over’ costs just to differentiate between entry-level and more experienced roles.

It’s also important to think about what this might mean for additional employer costs such as pension contributions. These are calculated as a percentage of an employee’s salary, so higher pay also means more contributions.

It will also impact the amount of National Insurance contributions you must make as an employer (so it’s worth checking how this affects the way you use NI relief).

What happens if a business doesn’t pay the minimum wage?

It’s against the law not to pay employees at least the National Minimum Wage, or the National Living Wage if they fall into that age range. It’s also illegal to falsify payment records.

The Living Wage is optional (and a good way to keep employees happy), but failure to pay at least the National Minimum Wage will very likely land your business in hot water with HMRC. Paying below the minimum legal threshold can attract a fine of £20,000 per worker. Employers may also face a ban from being a company director for up to 15 years.

HMRC compliance teams carry out checks and will respond to complaints from workers who are not receiving the minimum pay they’re legally entitled to. They will also check an employer’s payment history and other records, and ensure companies understand their legal obligations in full.

 
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