6,700 local workers set for pay boost as living wage rise clears final hurdle
Local MP Alex Mayer was chosen as one of just 17 Members of Parliament to serve on a special cross-party committee. Their job: to change the law to increase the minimum wage.
The members of the First Delegated Legislation Committee scrutinised the National Minimum Wage (Amendment) 2026 before voting on the detailed regulations on behalf of the whole House of Commons.
This paves the way for higher pay rates to come into force from 1 April. Locally around 6,700 workers across Central Bedfordshire will benefit, with the latest rise again putting more money into their pockets.
Young people are the biggest winners with the rate for 18 to 20-year-olds increasing by 8.5%. By April the minimum wage for young people will have risen by a quarter under this Labour government.
Meanwhile the uplift for workers aged 21 and over, is worth around £900 a year extra for someone working full time.
Labour MP Alex Mayer said: “I’m proud to vote for a pay rise for thousands of local workers.
“Work should always pay, and people who put in the hours deserve decent wages they can live on. This increase will mean around 6,700 local people see a boost in their pay packets from April.
“I am particularly pleased to see the higher increase for younger workers. For too long, there has been a significant gap between younger people’s pay and the main adult rate. Closing that gap is an important step towards fairness at work.”