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In a move that will diretly include retail staff, up to 160,000 workers in Wales will today (1 April) receive a pay rise as the new National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage rates take effect.

Full-time workers on the National Living Wage will see a real-terms pay increase of £1,400 per year, helping to provide families with better financial stability, improve living standards and kickstart growth as part of the Plan for Change.

Business Secretary, Jonathan Reynolds, said: ”We promised to make low pay a thing of the past. Now, as part of our Plan to Make Work Pay and the biggest upgrade to workers’ rights in a generation, we are delivering that.

“Low pay is not only bad for workers, it prevents them from spending on our high streets and allowing local businesses to achieve their full potential. By ensuring that everyone gets a fair wage for the hours they work, we’re delivering the financial stability needed to kick-start economic growth and ensure our country is fit for the future.”

Employment Rights Minister, Justin Madders added: ”Hard work deserves to be rewarded and this Government’s Plan to Make Work Pay is making that a reality. We’re raising the floor for workers from Cardiff to Colwyn Bay, putting more money into their pockets and delivering the increased living standards needed to kickstart economic growth across Wales.”

The full increases from today are:

  • National Living Wage (21+) has increased 6.7%, from £11.44 to £12.21 per hour
  • National Minimum Wage (18-20) has a record increase of 16.2%, from £8.60 to £10 per hour
  • National Minimum Wage (under 18) has increased 18%, to £7.55 per hour
  • Apprentice Rate has the largest increase of 18%, from £6.40 to £7.55 per hour
  • Accommodation Offset of £10.66 per day

The Secretary of State for Wales, Jo Stevens, said: ”Today thousands of the lowest paid workers in Wales will receive a pay rise worth £1,400 a year to help with household bills and improve living standards. Families across Wales will see this increase in their pay packets from today as the UK Government puts more money in the pockets of working people.”

Read about the impact of the upcoming year of increases here. 

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