Government policies
National minimum wage
| Starting dates |
April 1999: introduced Uprated annually in October of each year |
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| Key department | DTI | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Key delivery agency | HM Revenue & Customs and employers | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Budget/target/comment |
When first introduced, set at £3.60 per hour for those aged 22 years and over, unless in an exempt category or on a registered training scheme (in which case only £3.20). £3.00 per hour for those aged 18-21. Introduced for the first time for those aged 16 to 17 in October 2004. The table below shows how the rates have changed over time.
The Low Pay Commission estimated that the original National Minimum Wage affected 1.3 million jobs, rising to 1.5 million after the 2001 and 2002 increases. See the HM Revenue & Customs site for the latest information on rates. |