THE UK minimum wage will go up next year, finance minister Jeremy Hunt will announce at the Conservative party’s annual conference Monday, as the country gears up for a general election.
The rise from April next year comes amid the worst cost of living crisis in a generation, with the government battling stubbornly high inflation and industrial unrest across the economy.
The boost for the UK’s lowest earners will see wages rise to at least £11 an hour ($13.4) — an annual increase for a full-time worker of over £1,000, Hunt will tell party members in the northwestern city of Manchester.
The chancellor of the exchequer will also announce proposals for a crackdown on people claiming out-of-work benefits payments while failing to look for work.
“Work must pay,” Hunt was expected to tell the conference, according to extracts of his speech released in advance.
