From April 2024, the minimum wage in the UK for workers aged 21 and over is going to rise to £11.44.
This means that a full-time worker aged 23 on the National Living Wage (as the minimum wage is now called,) will receive a rise worth £1,800 a year. A 21-year-old will see an effective £2,300 annual rise.
Previously, workers aged 21-22 received a lower minimum wage than those aged 23 and over.
While this looks to be a cynical move that will make it easier for the government to cut welfare payments to the poorest in our society, by moving some working people outside of the benefits system, it’s about time that we eliminate the ageism that’s present in the system. Food and rent aren’t any cheaper for a 21 year old than for a 25 year old, after all. But why stop there?
An 18 year old faces all the same expenses. We can’t assume that somebody aged 18 and working full time has lower costs because they are able to live with their parents or other providers. Life simply isn’t that kind for many people, and nor should it need to be. Full-time work should allow people to escape financial dependency on individuals, or it leaves them open to mistreatment.
For other people, financial dependence isn’t even an option. Some don’t have providers willing or able to finance them as adults. Instead of extending the highest minimum wage to only 21 and 22 year olds, we should be extending it to all.
As it stands, the National Living Wage for 18 to 20 year olds is set to rise to a paltry £8.60 per hour. Even assuming one can find secure, full time hours, how is someone supposed to live on £8.60 an hour with today’s price? The average rent for a single person in the UK is £725 per month.
And what of the 16 and 17 year olds, whose minimum wage is rising to only £6.40 in 2024?
The existence of this cheap labour pool allows businesses to make more profit by getting the same work for less, while at the same time it drives wages down for older workers by reducing demand for them. Both groups get punished by the unequal pay, while investors are the only ones who benefit.
It’s time for us to demand equal pay for equal work, not just for all genders, but for all ages too.
