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Minimum wage parameters have no 2023-24 rates, so 2023 uses the 2022-23 rates #2044

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@MaxGhenis

policyengine_uk/parameters/gov/hmrc/minimum_wage/non_apprentice.yaml and apprentice.yaml jump from 2022-04-01 to 2024-04-01 in every band. The parameters have no 1 April 2023 entry. convert_to_fiscal_year_parameters (policyengine_uk/utils/parameters.py) reads each parameter at 30 April, so 2023 reads the April 2022 rates.

On main (15de0ca), minimum_wage for 2023 gives:

Band Model, 2023 Law from 1 April 2023 (S.I. 2023/354)
23 and over (national living wage) 9.50 10.42
21 to 22 9.18 10.18
18 to 20 6.83 7.49
Under 18 4.81 5.28
Apprentice 4.81 5.28

Source: The National Minimum Wage (Amendment) Regulations 2023, reg. 2(2) and 2(3), in force 1 April 2023.

Every other year from 2015 to 2026 matches the statutory instruments. The age thresholds (0, 18, 21, 23, 25) are constant. That is correct as long as a band shares the rate of the band above it while the law groups them: the national living wage applied from 25 (April 2016), from 23 (April 2021, S.I. 2021/329) and from 21 (April 2024, S.I. 2024/432).

minimum_wage feeds uc_minimum_income_floor, tax_free_childcare_meets_income_requirements and extended_childcare_entitlement_meets_income_requirements, so their 2023 values use the 2022 rates too.

Found while adding ESA exempt-work tests (#2031). #1999 (draft) also adds the 2023 rates as part of a larger change.

Activity

  1. added
    parametersAdding, changing or removing model parameters
    on Oct 2, 2026
  2. added a commit that references this issue on Oct 2, 2026
    1a6742e
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