Everyone born in these years is set for an automatic payrise based on a new law set to be introduced by the Labour government this week.
Sir Keir Starmer made a pledge in the Labour manifesto that if the party won a majority, it would look at age-based pay scales as one of its first acts.
Currently, there is a different minimum wage/national living wage pay rate for people of different ages. As it stands, those aged 21 and over get £11.44 an hour, while those aged 18 to 20 get £8.60 per hour, and those aged under 18 get £6.40 per hour, the same as an apprentice wage.
Workers born in the years 2004, 2005 and 2006, as well as 2007 and 2008, are set to receive an ‘instant’ pay rise thanks to a pledge to scrap the age brackets for the National Living Wage.
Labour’s Manifesto states it will deliver ‘a new deal for working people’ within 100 days of the election.
While the government has not yet outlined exactly how it will work in terms of which wage will apply to all three brackets, the Labour Manifesto states it will be a pay rise for ‘hundreds of thousands of people’.
Plans, set to be introduced by King Charles in his speech opening parliament on Wednesday, July 17, will also include banning fire and rehire, banning zero hours contracts and introducing rights to parental leave and sick pay.
Labour’s Manifesto says: “Labour’s Plan to Make Work Pay: Delivering a New Deal for Working People’ in full – introducing legislation within 100 days. We will consult fully with businesses, workers, and civil society on how to put our plans into practice before legislation is passed. This will include banning exploitative zero hours contracts; ending fire and rehire; and introducing basic rights from day one to parental leave, sick pay, and protection from unfair dismissal.
“Labour will also make sure the minimum wage is a genuine living wage. We will change the remit of the independent Low Pay Commission so for the first time it accounts for the cost of living. Labour will also remove the discriminatory age bands, so all adults are entitled to the same minimum wage, delivering a pay rise to hundreds of thousands of workers across the UK.”
