Asked on the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, he said the question was “when” and “how fast”. He said the government remained committed to eventual equalisation.
What the budget set out
The budget set the national minimum wage for adults at 13.21 pounds per hour. The rate for under-20s is 11.27 pounds per hour. Adults and under-20s both received a blanket 3.9 percent increase, rather than a larger rise for younger workers.
Labour’s 2024 manifesto committed to closing the pay gap for 18- to 20-year-olds. The budget did not do that in one step.
Spending limits and youth jobs
Healey said spending cuts planned for before the next election would be kept, some of them more than 2 percent a year. He tied them to the 10-year plan and next year’s spending review. Healey also cited concerns that a bigger rise could worsen youth unemployment.
Angela Rayner had warned in June that the government must deliver on the promise.
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