You must be at least school leaving age to receive the National Minimum Wage and to get the National Living Wage you must be over 25.
The National Minimum wage will apply even if you work part-time, work as a temp for an agency, are a disabled worker, a seafarer, an offshore worker, a trainee, or a worker/homeworker paid by the number of items you make. It also applies if you an an apprentice.
These are the current and new rates for the National Living Wage and the National Minimum Wage. The rates change every April.
| Year | 25 and over | 21 to 24 | 18 to 20 | Under 18 | Apprentice |
| April 2017 (current) | £7.50 | £7.05 | £5.60 | £4.05 | £3.50 |
| April 2018 | £7.83 | £7.38 | £5.90 | £4.20 | £3.70 |
You are entitled to the apprentice rate it you are under 19 or 19 or over and in the first year of your apprenticeship. If you are over 19 have completed your first year as an apprentice you will be entitled to the appropriate minimum wage.
You won’t be entitled to minimum wage if you are self-employed people, running your own business, a company director, a volunteer, a member of the armed forces or younger than school leaving age. You also won’t qualify if you are doing work experience or an internship.
As a recruitment business, Personnel Placements pay all our temporary workers National Living Wage as a minimum.
