Minimum wage for apprentices to increase in April 2020

The official minimum wage for apprentices currently stands at £3.90 per hour, but in April it will increase by 6.4 per cent to £4.15.

Annual changes to the minimum wage are usually announced in the Autumn Budget, but this was scrapped in 2019 as prime minister Boris Johnson pushed for the general election that took place in December 2019.

Mr Johnson said the increase amounted to the “biggest ever cash boost” to the minimum permitted pay level. “Hard work should always pay, but for too long people haven’t seen the pay rises they deserve,” he added.

What is the minimum wage going up by?

 

Year 25 and over 21 to 24 18 to 20 Under 18 Apprentice
April 2019 (current rate) £8.21 £7.70 £6.15 £4.35 £3.90
April 2020 £8.72 £8.20 £6.45 £4.55 £4.15

Apprentices
Apprentices are entitled to the apprentice rate if they’re either:

Aged under 19
Aged 19 or over and in the first year of their apprenticeship

Example
An apprentice aged 22 in the first year of their apprenticeship is entitled to a minimum hourly rate of £3.90.

Apprentices are entitled to the minimum wage for their age if they both:

Are aged 19 or over
Have completed the first year of their apprenticeship
Example
An apprentice aged 22 who has completed the first year of their apprenticeship is entitled to a minimum hourly rate of £7.70.

Source: National Minimum Wage