Increases to Statutory Payments

National Minimum Wage - From 1 April 2023, the National Living Wage will increase from £9.50 to £10.42 an hour.

National Minimum Wage rates for those under the age of 23 and first year apprentices will increase as follows:

Workers aged 21 to 22: £10.18 (up from £9.18)
Workers aged 18 to 20: £7.49 (up from £6.83)
Workers aged 16 to 17: £5.28 (up from £4.81)
Apprentices in their first year: £5.28 (up from £4.81)
The accommodation offset rate increased from £8.70 to £9.10.

Agricultural Minimum Wage in Wales

See our separate blog on the Agricultural Wages (Wales) Order 2023 here.

Family-related payments

From 2 April, Statutory Maternity Pay, Statutory Paternity Pay, Statutory Adoption Pay, Statutory Shared Parental Pay and Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay will increase from £156.66 to £172.48 per week (or, if lower, 90% of an employee’s average weekly earnings).

Statutory Sick Pay (SSP)

From 6 April, SSP will increase from £99.35 to £109.40 per week.

Statutory guarantee pay

During periods of lay-off or short-time working an employee may be entitled to a statutory guarantee payment, which is calculated by multiplying the number of normal working hours on the workless day by the guaranteed hourly rate. With effect from 6 April, the maximum guarantee payment will increase to £35.00 per day (subject to a maximum of 5 days or £175 in any 3 months) from £31.00 per day.

For further details relating to the law around and relating to the above payments and limits, please contact me or another member of the Employment Team.