The national minimum wage has risen to £5.93 an hour from £5.80 and for the first time people aged 21 will benefit from the rate. Previously the full rate applied to employees aged 22 and older.
There are also corresponding increases for younger workers, with 16 and 17-year-olds seeing a rise from £3.57 an hour to £3.64. For 18 to 20-year-olds the rate is increasing from £4.83 to £4.92 an hour.
The government has also introduced a minimum wage for apprentices for the first time, of £2.50 an hour, for those under 19 years old.
