Minimum wage rises for two million lowest-paid workers – but thousands miss out

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. The full changes are: For those aged 23 or over, the minimum wage has increased 2.2 per cent, from £8.72 to £8.91 For those aged 21 and 22, the minimum wage has increased 2 per cent, from £8.20 to £8.36 For those aged 18 - 20, the minimum wage has increased 1.7 per cent, from £6.45 to £6.56 For those aged under 18, the minimum wage has increased 1.5 per cent, from £4.55 to £4.62 The apprentice rate has increased 3.6 per cent, from £4.15 to £4.30 Boris Johnson, the prime minister, said the increase was a “well-earned pay rise” while Kwasi Kwarteng, the business secretary, said workers should check their pay packet “to ensure they're getting what they are entitled to, and remind employers of their duty to pay the correct wage”. Mike Hawking of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation said: “The pandemic has shown the urgency of taking steps to tackle the injustice of in-work poverty and move towards a Real Living Wage. ”Today's boost is necessary but as we start to recover from the impact of the last year, too many workers are finding that minimum wage increases are being wiped out due to inadequate social security, insufficient hours available to them, and high housing costs.“ Laura Gardiner, director of the Living Wage Foundation, which sets the voluntary Real Living Wage rates – currently £10.85 an hour in London and £9.50 outside the capital – said: ”The introduction of the National Living Wage has delivered a solid pay rise to minimum wage workers, and it's welcome to see the government continuing to commit to ambitious increases. ”The number of employers signing up to the Real Living Wage has continued to grow, even during the pandemic, as businesses recognise the benefits of a healthy and motivated workforce.“ Bryan Sanderson, chairman of the Low Pay Commission, which recommends the statutory rates, said: ”This week's increase is our first step towards the government's target of two-thirds of median earnings.