Key takeaways
National Minimum Wage increases
New rates apply from 1 April 2026.
SSP and family leave payment rates increase
Increased rates apply from 6 April 2026.
Employment tribunal compensation limits raised
Tribunal compensation limits are lifted from 6 April 2026.
National minimum wage (1 April 2026)
National Living Wage (21 and over): £12.71
18-20: £10.85
16-17: £8.00
Apprentice Rate: £8.00
Accommodation Offset: £11.10
Employment tribunal compensation (6 April 2026)
A week’s pay: £751.00
Max cap on the unfair dismissal compensatory award: £123,543.00 (52 weeks’ gross pay, if lower).
Minimum basic award in cases where a dismissal is unfair by virtue of health and safety, employee representative, trade union, or occupational pension trustee reasons: £9,157.00
Unlawful inducements: £5,993.00
Max compensatory award for a failure to have a written policy on allocating tips, or for a failure to allocate and pay tips fairly: £5,366.00
Family leave payments (6 April 2026)
Maternity, adoption, paternity, shared parental, parental bereavement, and neonatal care leave pay: £194.32 (or 90% of earnings if lower)
Employers with a Class 1 NIC liability below £45,000 will be able to recover 109% of these payments
Statutory sick pay (6 April 2026)
SSP: £123.25 per week
Lower earnings limit: £129 per week
Statutory guarantee pay (6 April 2026)
Guarantee pay: £41 per day
