Millions of workers in all parts of the UK will receive a pay increase from today (April 1), as the National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage uplift comes into effect.

The rate rises include a 2.2% increase in the National Living Wage to £8.91, the equivalent of more than £345 extra per year for someone working full-time.

And for the first time since it came into effect in 2016 more younger people will be eligible for the National Living Wage, as the age threshold will be lowered from 25 to 23 years old.

The rise means someone working full time on the National Living Wage from April 2021 will be taking home £5,400 more annually than they were in 2010.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said:

The National Minimum and Living Wages have increased every year since they were introduced, supporting the lowest paid, and despite the challenges we’ve faced recently, this year will be no different.

That’s why we’re providing a well-earned pay rise to 2 million people, which will be a welcome boost to families right across the UK.

To make sure the next generation isn’t left behind, everyone over 23 years old will also now be eligible.

Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said:

In this toughest of years, we’re protecting workers by putting more money in the pockets of the UK’s lowest paid.

To support our next generation of workers, we’ve also lowered the age threshold for the Living Wage to 23 – ensuring even more people have the security of a decent wage.

This increase will help millions of families in every corner of the country, while supporting businesses as we prepare to safely reopen our economy and build back better from the pandemic.

I’d urge all workers to 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.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak said:

We know that the past year has been very difficult for businesses and families across the country. This pay rise will help support employees as we steadily reopen the economy and get more people back to work.

At the same time, our Plan for Jobs is helping support businesses to recover and create more jobs, with measures such as VAT cuts, business rates relief, and cash grants for the most affected sectors.

From today, those over the age of 23 are eligible for the National Living Wage. The National Minimum Wage applies to those from school leaving age to 22. The uplift will particularly benefit workers in sectors such as retail, hospitality and cleaning and maintenance.

In full, the increases from April 1 2021 are:

• National Living Wage (23+) has increased 2.2%, from £8.72 to £8.91
• National Minimum Wage (21-22) has increased 2%, from £8.20 to £8.36
• National Minimum Wage (18-20) has increased 1.7% from £6.45 to £6.56
• National Minimum Wage (under 18) has increased 1.5% from £4.55 to £4.62
• Apprentice Rate has increased 3.6% from £4.15 to £4.30

The National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage have increased every year since their introduction – and, in this extraordinary year, there is no exception. The government is committed to providing both workers and businesses with certainty in this difficult time.

The new rates – announced at the Chancellor’s Spending Review 2020 – were recommended by the independent body the Low Pay Commission, following extensive consultation. The government is committed to the target of the National Living Wage reaching two-thirds of median earnings by 2024, and this increase allows progress to continue to be made towards it.

The figures were recommended with the aim to provide a rise in pay for millions of families across the UK, while ensuring businesses can thrive as the country continues to recover from COVID-19.

Throughout the pandemic the government’s priority has always been to protect jobs and incomes. And, indeed, many low paid workers have supported the country through these challenging times.

Over the past year, the UK government has helped millions of people to continue to provide for their families as part of its Plan for Jobs to protect, support and create employment.  

An unprecedented £352 billion support package has helped to safeguard jobs, businesses and public services in every region and nation of the UK. 

Our support package includes protecting 11.2 million jobs through the furlough scheme, £18.9 billion to support 2.7 million self-employed workers to date, and billions of pounds in tax deferrals and grants for businesses. 

The £2 billion Kickstart scheme has created over 120,000 opportunities for young people and we’re offering employers £3,000 for every new apprentice they hire. 

Last month’s Budget introduced new measures to cut down on the cost of living by freezing fuel duty for the eleventh consecutive year – saving an average car driver £12.84 per tank and a cumulative £1,600, and freezing all alcohol duties, saving drinkers £1.7 billion.

Through the pandemic, we’ve offered support targeted specifically to parents, like keeping nurseries open and support bubbles so grandparents and other carers can provide childcare provision. Working parents are able to be furloughed if they need to look after their children, and we have ensured women will not lose Statutory Maternity Pay if their roles have been furloughed.

In October we announced a new easement for Tax-Free Childcare which means working parents in a government coronavirus job support scheme who would normally be eligible for Tax Free Childcare or 30 hours free childcare but whose incomes are below the minimum threshold for these schemes due to the pandemic, can retain their eligibility.

And we’ve ended the Tampon Tax meaning women will save, on average, £0.07 on a pack of 20 tampons and £0.05 on a pack of 12 pads, which has been welcomed by the Fawcett Society as well as others.

If someone is concerned that they are not being paid the correct wage, they should speak with their employer. If the problem is not resolved, they can contact Acas (the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service) on 0300 123 1100, or complain to HMRC.

The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) is working with partners to run a campaign to encourage eligible workers to visit the Check Your Pay site where they can check their pay and find out what they can do if they believe they are underpaid. The campaign aims to reach workers through social media, digital and other channels.

The 23-24 age category for the National Minimum Wage has been abolished, following the lowering of the age of the eligibility for the National Living Wage to 23 years old.

This table shows the number of workers projected for April 2021 covered by NLW and NMW rates, by region. Estimates are based on 2020 data from Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE). The survey covers data for April of each year: ASHE 2021 data will not be released until the autumn.

Coverage of all NLW and NMW rates: projected number of workers paid at or below in April 2021

A new, refreshed Countryside Code has been launched today by Natural England and Natural Resources Wales, coinciding with the 70th anniversary of the creation of the founding booklet.

With more people enjoying the outdoors than ever before, the code has been revised to help people enjoy countryside in a safe and respectful way.

The first Countryside Code booklet was published in 1951. This update – the first in over a decade – has been shaped by nearly 4,000 stakeholder responses to an online survey, which sought views on best practices for visiting the countryside and protecting the natural environment and saw a huge response.

Changes include advice on creating a welcoming environment, for example by saying hello to fellow visitors; clearer rules to underline the importance of clearing away dog poo; staying on footpaths; and not feeding livestock. It also provides advice on how to seek permissions for activities such as wild swimming.

Key changes to the Countryside Code include:

• New advice for people to ‘be nice, say hello, share the space’ as well as ‘enjoy your visit, have fun, make a memory’.
• A reminder not to feed livestock, horses or wild animals.
• To stay on marked footpaths, even if they are muddy, to protect crops and wildlife.
• Information on permissions to do certain outdoor activities, such as wild swimming.
• Clearer rules for dog walkers to take home dog poo and use their own bin if a there are no public waste bins.
• A refreshed tone of voice, creating a guide for the public rather than a list of rules – recognising the significant health and wellbeing benefits of spending time in nature.
• New wording to make clear that the code applies to all our natural places, including parks and waterways, coast and countryside.

Natural England Chair Tony Juniper said:

The Countryside Code has been providing an excellent guide for people on how to get out and enjoy the outdoors safely for over 70 years.

With more people than ever before seeking solace in nature, this refresh could not come at a more crucial time. We want everyone to be aware of the Code, so people of all ages and backgrounds can enjoy the invaluable health and wellbeing benefits that nature offers, while giving it the respect it deserves.

Rural Affairs Minister Lord Gardiner said:

With so many people visiting the countryside, the Countryside Code has never felt more relevant. Crucially it now covers all green spaces, waterways, the coast and even parks in towns and cities, so that everyone, as we lift restrictions, can enjoy a greener future.

I’d like to thank Natural England and all the many stakeholders who helped shape this updated version. It is an excellent guide and I urge visitors to nature – old and new – to follow its advice.

Ahead of the Easter weekend and the easing of some lockdown restrictions it is expected to be bumper period for visitors to the countryside. In the summer of 2020, the Countryside Code was updated to respond to issues that were being raised during lockdown, such as an increase in littering and sheep worrying by dogs. Today’s refresh aims to help everyone enjoy parks and open spaces in a safe way, whilst encouraging them to look after our natural environments and the livelihoods of those who work there.

The pandemic has changed people’s relationships with nature. Evidence from Natural England shows the importance of nature to people’s health and wellbeing, with 85% of people surveyed saying that being in nature makes them happy.

Natural England’s People and Nature survey findings however show some groups have been able to spend more time in nature than others. Promotion of the refreshed Code will aim to tackle those inequalities and encourage more inclusive access to nature for minority communities and those with diverse physical and sensory needs. This will be done via targeted stakeholder and media promotion, and through partnership work such as Natural England’s work with the Mosaic Charity to encourage people from the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities to access the Peak District National Park, and the recently announced green social prescribing sites.

As part of today’s announcement, Natural England are also setting up a long-term Countryside Code campaign to increase awareness of the Code through 2021 and beyond. The campaign will focus on encouraging behavioural change amongst public audiences to act responsibly when visiting outdoors, by respecting those who manage the land and adhering to the Code.

The updated Countryside Code can be viewed here.

I want to thank Prime Minister Trudeau, Prime Minister Holness and the Secretary General for convening us today.

This crisis calls for sustained and responsive global leadership.

As we speak, the pandemic continues to have a severe impact on economic growth, especially in the most vulnerable countries, with economic scarring a real risk The World Bank estimates that, for the first time in 20 years, global poverty is set for a significant increase.

COVAX aims to bring the acute phase of the pandemic to an end in even the poorest regions of the world. But real recovery will take much, much longer.

What we need are green, inclusive and resilient recoveries. While financing needs remain high, and fiscal space is more squeezed than ever, we risk missing that chance.

This is why we have and will continue to take decisive action.

The UK has doubled our existing commitment to the IMF’s Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust with a new £2.2bn loan.

We contributed £150m to the IMF’s Catastrophe Containment and Relief Trust.

We supported the significant escalation of financial support to the poorest countries by the IMF and World Bank, with nearly $40 billion disbursed.

The scale of this issue is such, that it needs each and every one of us to join together in collective action.

The G20 debt service suspension initiative has already suspended nearly $6 billion dollars in debt service repayments.

We have also agreed a Common Framework that brings together the major bilateral creditors to deliver coordinated debt treatments and seek comparable treatment from the private sector.

There is more we can do, as partners.

First, we must make the Common Framework a success. That means ensuring all official and private creditors participate on comparable terms.

Second, we must improve transparency standards. Transparency can improve sovereign ratings, help citizens hold their governments to account for borrowing undertaken on their behalf and pave the way for more sustainable financing decisions.

Finally, under the UK’s G7 Presidency, G7 Finance Ministers have agreed that a new and sizeable allocation of Special Drawing Rights at the IMF could provide further financial support for low-income countries and pave the way to a truly global recovery.

We need to work quickly to deliver these solutions for the countries and people that need it most.

The UK will use our G7 and COP26 presidencies to lead the charge in 2021.

In the G7 we will promote continued action on debt and financial support for low income countries, and for the most climate-vulnerable, to boost their resilience.

It is important that our actions are informed by those on the front line of climate impacts. So, in just two days’ time, we host a Climate and Development Ministerial as part of our COP26 presidency. We are creating a space for dialogue between donor and recipient countries as well as international institutions and development banks.

Fiscal space and debt sustainability is a key theme. We will be encouraging Ministers to build on today’s meeting and bring forward practical solutions to address these challenges.

The need to accelerate our progress on the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement is critical.

In a time of unprecedented challenge, we must raise an unprecedented response.