April is upon us, which means that, as with every year, new statutory rates and limits have been introduced in England and Wales. We set out the key rates below.
April 2025 Rates and Limits Increases
| Update | Effective Date | Old Rate | New Rate |
| Employment Tribunal Limits | |||
| Maximum unfair dismissal basic award | 6 April, 2025 | £21,000 | £21,570 |
| Maximum unfair dismissal compensatory award | 6 April, 2025 | £115,115 | £118,223 |
| Injury to feelings awards (Vento bands) | 6 April, 2025 | Lower band: £1,200 to £11,700 Middle band: £11,700 to £35,200 Upper band: £35,200 to £58,700 | Lower band: £1,200 to £12,100 Middle band: £12,100 to £36,400 Upper band: £36,400 to £60,700 |
| Statutory Payments | |||
| Maximum statutory redundancy payment | 6 April, 2025 | £21,000 | £21,570 |
| Statutory sick pay (weekly) | 6 April, 2025 | £116.75 | £118.75 |
| Cap on a week’s pay (for calculating unfair dismissal basic award, redundancy pay and other figures) | 6 April, 2025 | £700 | £719 |
| ‘Prescribed rate’ for statutory maternity, paternity, adoption, and shared parental leave pay (weekly) | 6 April, 2025 | £184.03 (or 90% of the employee’s average weekly earnings if this is lower) | £187.18 (or 90% of the employee’s average weekly earnings if this is lower) |
| Statutory parental bereavement pay (weekly) | 6 April, 2025 | £184.03 (or 90% of the employee’s average weekly earnings if this is lower) | £187.18 (or 90% of the employee’s average weekly earnings if this is lower) |
| Minimum Wage Rates | |||
| National Living Wage (for employees aged 21 and above) | 1 April, 2025 | £11.44 | £12.21 |
| National Minimum Wage (for employees aged 18-20 inclusive) | 1 April, 2025 | £8.60 | £10.00 |
| National Minimum Wage (for employees aged under 18 but above compulsory school leaving age) | 1 April, 2025 | £6.40 | £7.55 |
| Apprentices aged under 19, or aged 19 and over in their first apprenticeship year | 1 April, 2025 | £6.40 | £7.55 |
Other Key Developments
Employers’ NICs: Effective 6 April 2025, employers’ National Insurance contributions will increase from 13.8% to 15%, and the annual earnings threshold for employers to start paying National Insurance contributions will decrease from £9,100 to £5,000.
Neonatal Care and Leave: 6 April 2025 also sees the introduction of the new right to neonatal care leave and pay. In short, employees who have a ‘qualifying relationship’ with a child born on or after 6 April 2025 and who are receiving neonatal care will be entitled to take up to 12 weeks of statutory neonatal care leave and, subject to meeting additional eligibility criteria, statutory neonatal care pay. For further details please see our article on this topic here.
Gender Pay Gap Reporting: The deadline for private, voluntary and all other public authority employers with more than 250 employees to report their gender pay gap data was 4 April 4 2025.
