Ashfield MP welcomes increase in National Living and Minimum Wages

The National Living Wage has risen by 2.2 per cent to £8.91 this year, and has been expanded to cover 23 and 24-year-olds.

These changes mean 163,000 workers across the East Midlands will receive a pay rise through the increase to the National Living Wage, with 25,000 people also benefiting from the increase to the National Minimum Wage.

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.

Mr Anderson said: “This has been an extraordinarily difficult year for workers across Ashfield and Eastwood, but as we recover from the pandemic, this Conservative Government is determined to put more money into the pockets of our lowest-paid workers.

“These increases to the National Living and Minimum Wages will benefit around 188,000 people across the East Midlands, giving them a much-needed pay rise as we steadily reopen the economy and get more people back to work.

“This will help to protect the lowest paid and put more money in the pockets of hard-working families, supporting our recovery as we build back better from this pandemic.”

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."