Researched by ExpatMoneyEU Research Team · Last updated 14 November 2026 · Data: UK National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage rates — National Living Wage £13.21 an hour from 1 April 2027, announced in the Autumn Budget on 28 October 2026, accepting the Low Pay Commission's recommendations in full — 2027. Estimate only — not tax or financial advice. Figures are gross, before income tax and National Insurance, which depend on your personal circumstances.
ExpatMoneyEU verdict: On the 2027 National Living Wage of £13.21 an hour, a full-time 37.5-hour week pays £495.38 gross a week — £2,146.63 a month and £25,759.50 a year. That is £18.75 a week more than the 2026 rate of £12.71, or £975 extra gross pay over a full year. The official rate is £13.21 — not £13.20, which appeared in some early press reports, and not £13.44, which was only the Low Pay Commission's estimate of a reference point, never a rate.
The 2027 rates apply from 1 April 2027, to the first pay reference period that starts on or after that date. Apprentices of any age get the Apprentice Rate in the first year of their apprenticeship; after that, apprentices aged 19 and over move to the rate for their age band. The accommodation offset is £11.53 a day in 2027 — the most an employer may deduct from your pay for accommodation. A month is 52 weeks divided by 12, which is how most payroll software spreads a weekly wage. All figures are gross — income tax and National Insurance are deducted separately and depend on your personal circumstances.
What is the National Living Wage in the UK in 2027?
The National Living Wage rises to £13.21 an hour for workers aged 21 and over from 1 April 2027, up 50p — 3.9% — from the 2026 rate of £12.71. The Government announced the increase at the Autumn Budget on 28 October 2026, accepting the Low Pay Commission's recommendations in full. The other rates rise by the same 3.9%: £11.27 an hour for 18 to 20 year olds, and £8.31 an hour for 16 to 17 year olds and for apprentices. The National Living Wage is a legal minimum — it is the lowest hourly rate an employer may lawfully pay a worker aged 21 or over, and it is enforced by HMRC.
For an expat starting work in London, Manchester or Edinburgh, this rate is the number that matters most on a first payslip. The standard full-time week in the UK is 37.5 hours, so a full-time adult on the National Living Wage earns £495.38 gross a week in 2027. That is before income tax and National Insurance are taken off — what lands in your bank account is lower, and it depends on your tax code and personal circumstances. This calculator shows gross pay only, so you can check your payslip against the legal minimum; use our UK net salary calculator to work out the take-home figure. Do not confuse the National Living Wage with the voluntary real Living Wage, which the Living Wage Foundation sets from the cost of living and no employer is legally required to pay.
→ Free UK Net Salary Calculator — your take-home after UK income tax and National Insurance
How to use it (4 steps)
- Pick your age band — 21 and over, 18 to 20, 16 to 17, or apprentice. The hourly rate changes with your age and apprentice status.
- Enter the hours you work in a week. The default is 37.5 hours, the standard full-time week in the UK.
- Read your gross pay instantly: a week, a month and a year, plus what the same hours paid in 2026 and how much extra 2027 brings.
- Compare the result with your payslip. If your employer pays less than the rate for your age band for pay periods starting on or after 1 April 2027, that is underpayment — and it is your take-home, not the gross figure, that lands in your bank account.
→ Free UK Student Loan Repayment Calculator — what your student loan takes off your 2027 pay
The formula, with every variable explained
Gross pay a week = hourly rate × hours worked a week. Gross pay a month = gross pay a week × 52 ÷ 12, because a year has 52 weeks and a month is 52 weeks divided by 12. Gross pay a year = gross pay a week × 52. Your hourly rate is the National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage rate for your age band in 2027: £13.21 for workers aged 21 and over, £11.27 for 18 to 20 year olds, £8.31 for 16 to 17 year olds and £8.31 for apprentices. Hours worked a week is the number of hours you actually work — 37.5 is the standard full-time week in the UK, but part-time workers use their real hours. The extra pay in 2027 is simply your 2027 annual gross minus your 2026 annual gross at the same hours — for a full-time adult, £25,759.50 minus £24,784.50, which is £975.00 a year. The accommodation offset of £11.53 a day is separate: it is the most your employer may deduct from your pay for accommodation you live in.
Worked example with real numbers
Example: a worker aged 21 or over on a full-time 37.5-hour week in 2027. The hourly rate is £13.21, so gross pay a week is 37.5 × £13.21 = £495.375, shown as £495.38. Gross pay a month is £495.375 × 52 ÷ 12 = £2,146.63, and gross pay a year is £495.375 × 52 = £25,759.50. In 2026 the same 37.5 hours paid £476.63 a week and £24,784.50 a year, so the 2027 rise is worth £18.75 a week and £975.00 a year. Now an 18 to 20 year old on the same 37.5 hours: the rate is £11.27, so the week is 37.5 × £11.27 = £422.625, shown as £422.63, the month is £1,831.38 and the year is £21,976.50. And a part-time adult on 20 hours a week: 20 × £13.21 = £264.20 a week, £1,144.87 a month and £13,738.40 a year.
UK minimum wage rates by age band (2026 vs 2027)
| Rate band | 2026 hourly | 2027 hourly | Rise | Gross a week, 37.5 hours (2027) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| National Living Wage (21 and over) | £12.71 | £13.21 | +£0.50 (+3.9%) | £495.38 |
| 18 to 20 Year Old Rate | £10.85 | £11.27 | +£0.42 (+3.9%) | £422.63 |
| 16 to 17 Year Old Rate | £8.00 | £8.31 | +£0.31 (+3.9%) | £311.63 |
| Apprentice Rate | £8.00 | £8.31 | +£0.31 (+3.9%) | £311.63 |
| Accommodation offset (per day) | £11.10 | £11.53 | +£0.43 (+3.9%) | — |
2027 rates apply from 1 April 2027, to the first pay reference period that starts on or after that date. The 2026 rates apply to pay periods up to 31 March 2027. The National Living Wage age threshold stays at 21 from 1 April 2027 — the Government's ambition to lower it to 18 continues, but alignment was paused this year. Weekly figures assume a 37.5-hour week over 52 weeks; all figures are gross, before income tax and National Insurance.
→ Free Money Transfer Cost Calculator — what sending UK earnings home really costs
Sources and disclaimer
The National Living Wage rises by 50p to £13.21 an hour from 1 April 2027, announced by the Government at the Autumn Budget on 28 October 2026 (GOV.UK press release, "LPC recommendations take the National Living Wage to £13.21", published 28 October 2026), accepting in full the Low Pay Commission's recommendations submitted on 23 October 2026. The 18 to 20 rate rises to £11.27, the 16 to 17 and apprentice rates to £8.31, and the accommodation offset to £11.53 a day — all from 1 April 2027. The 2026 rates are £12.71, £10.85, £8.00, £8.00 and £11.10 a day. The figure £13.20 appeared in some early press reports and is wrong; £13.44 was the Low Pay Commission's estimate of the rate needed to reach two-thirds of median earnings, and it was never a rate. The National Living Wage is a legal minimum and is different from the voluntary real Living Wage set by the Living Wage Foundation. Sources checked 14 November 2026. Estimate only — not tax or financial advice. This calculator shows gross pay only; your take-home pay depends on your tax code, income tax band and National Insurance, and on your personal circumstances — use our UK net salary calculator for the take-home figure, and confirm the exact rate on your payslip or with HMRC or Acas before making decisions.
You may also need…
- Free UK Net Salary Calculator
- Free UK Student Loan Repayment Calculator
- Free Money Transfer Cost Calculator