Overview

• The government has extended the commission’s remit to review the gap between the 18–20 minimum wage and the adult rate with a view to creating a single adult wage.
• The updated brief instructs the commission to factor in inflation and household costs when crafting its annual recommendations.
• Stakeholder consultations, including employers, trade unions and workers, are now under way to inform the review.
• The commission will submit its recommendations in October ahead of rates set to apply from April 2026.
• Last year’s cost-of-living mandate produced record cash bumps for about three million workers, notably a £1,400 annual rise for full-time living wage earners.