Statutory Pay Rates
SMP
- 5 April 2026, statutory maternity pay and statutory adoption pay will increase, with the weekly cap rising to £194.32 after the first 6 weeks.
SSP
- 5 April 2026, Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) will increase to £123.25 per week and will also become a day-one entitlement under the Employment Rights Act 2025, with the removal of both the three-day waiting period and the lower earnings limit.
NLW & NMW
- The National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage will rise again from 1 April 2026, with increases across all age bands and the accommodation offset rate.
National Living Wage (21+): £12.71
National Minimum Wage
- 18-20 Year Old Rate:£10.85
- 16-17 Year Old Rate:£8.00
- Apprentice Rate:£8.00
- Accommodation Offset:£11.10 per day
Week’s Pay & Injury to Feelings
- The statutory cap on a week’s pay for redundancy and tribunal awards, as well as the Vento bands for injury to feelings, will be updated in April 2026 (TBC).
Other ERA 2025 Reforms
The Employment Rights Act 2025 received Royal Assent on 18 December 2025, with most reforms to be implemented in phases during 2026 and 2027.
Key reforms taking effect in April 2026 under the Employment Rights Act include day-one rights to paternity leave and unpaid parental leave and bereaved partners’ leave together with the establishment of a new Fair Work Agency to enforce employment rights.
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