This April will see The National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage rise from £7.20 to £7.50, for those aged 25 and over.

The minimum wage for 25-year-olds and over will rise by 4% from £7.20 to £7.50 an hour, in new plans set to go live on 1 April, a pay rise of around £500 a year for full-time workers who do a 38-hour week.

The hourly rate for the minimum wage depends on your age and whether you’re an apprentice.

So what's the difference between the minimum wage and the living wage?

The minimum wage is the minimum pay per hour workers are entitled to by law. The rate will depend on a person's age. If you are an apprentice the rate is different. (see below).

£7.50 per hour - aged 25 and over

£7.05 per hour - aged 21-24

£5.60 per hour - aged 18-20

£4.05 per hour - aged 16-17

£3.50 for apprentices under 19. And those 19 and over who are in the first year of apprenticeship.

As a company, City & Essex does not discriminate on age, paying all its staff the National Minimum Wage of £7.50 per hour.