Last updated: July 2026 Current
April 2026
New
National Living Wage Rises to £12.71 per Hour
From 1 April 2026, the National Living Wage for workers aged 21 and over increased to £12.71 per hour. The National Minimum Wage for 18–20 year olds also rose to £10.85 per hour, and for under 18s and apprentices to £8.00 per hour. Employers must update payroll immediately. Workers who have not received the increase should raise a formal complaint.
April 2026
Important
Employment Rights Act 2025 — What Has Started and What Is Next
The Employment Rights Act 2025 became law on 18 December 2025 and starts in stages, mostly in England, Wales and Scotland only. From 6 April 2026: statutory sick pay from the first day of sickness, day-one paternity leave and unpaid parental leave, and the Fair Work Agency. From 1 October 2026: 6 months less 1 day to bring most tribunal claims, for acts on or after that date. From 1 January 2027: ordinary unfair dismissal needs 6 months' service instead of 2 years, where the employment ends on or after that date. New rights for zero hours workers, such as guaranteed hours, are not in force yet.
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What this means for you: Until 1 January 2027 you need 2 years' service to claim ordinary unfair dismissal. Day-one protection was dropped from the final Act. Use our
Employee Rights Checker to understand your position.
April 2026
Update
Statutory Sick Pay Increases to £123.25 per Week
Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) increased to £123.25 per week from April 2026. Separately, the Employment Rights Bill removed the three waiting days for SSP — meaning eligible workers are now entitled to SSP from the first day of sickness, not the fourth. This is a significant change for short-term illness.
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What this means for you: If your employer is still applying a three-day wait, challenge this. Use our
Employee Rights Checker for guidance.
March 2026
Update
Flexible Working — Default Right Now Applies
Following changes introduced by the Employment Relations (Flexible Working) Act, employees now have the right to request flexible working from day one of employment, and can make two requests per year (up from one). Employers must respond within two months and can only refuse on specified business grounds. Refusals must be in writing with reasons.
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What this means for you: You can request flexible working immediately when you start a new job. Use our
Flexible Working Request Letter to do this formally.
February 2026
Coming
Carer's Leave — Enhanced Entitlement Planned
The government has signalled plans to extend statutory Carer's Leave beyond the current one week per year entitlement. No date has been confirmed but the expansion is expected to be part of further Employment Rights Bill provisions. Workers with caring responsibilities should begin documenting their situation now in case eligibility criteria apply.
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What this means for you: If you are a carer, you already have the right to one week of unpaid leave per year. Use our
Carers Leave Request Letter.
This page is updated regularly as UK employment law changes. Last reviewed July 2026.
For urgent advice contact ACAS on 0300 123 1100 or Citizens Advice on 0800 144 8848.
UK Rights Law Is Changing Faster Than Usual
The last two years have brought some of the largest changes to UK employment and housing law in a generation. Guidance written before them — including plenty still sitting near the top of search results — is now simply wrong on important points. This page tracks what has actually changed and what it means in practice.
Changes Already in Force
Section 21 no-fault evictions were abolished in England on 1 May 2026. All assured tenancies became periodic. Notices served before that date remain valid only if a court claim was submitted by 31 July 2026. This is the single biggest shift in private renting in decades.
Statutory Sick Pay is now available from day one to all employees, following the abolition of the lower earnings limit on 6 April 2026. Previously many low-paid and part-time workers received nothing at all.
The protective award for failing to consult collectively on redundancies doubled to a maximum of 180 days' gross pay from 6 April 2026. Any source still saying ninety days is out of date.
Flexible working became a day-one right in April 2024, with employees able to make two requests a year and employers required to respond within two months.
Changes People Get Wrong
Two points cause repeated confusion. The extended six-month tribunal time limit applies only where the triggering act occurs on or after 1 October 2026 — it does not extend or backdate any deadline running now. And the four-point PIP rule and the £86,000 social care cap were both abandoned; neither is law, despite both still circulating widely.
Why Currency Matters More Than Usual
In a fast-moving period, the risk is not that you find no answer — it is that you find a confident answer that was true eighteen months ago. Rates, thresholds and qualifying periods all move, and a single outdated figure can change whether a claim is worth bringing.
Our checkers run against a verified facts block sourced from GOV.UK, ACAS and legislation.gov.uk, updated when we find the law has moved. Where a figure cannot be verified, the system says so rather than filling the gap.
Checking How a Change Affects You
Run the relevant free checker for guidance on your own circumstances, or read the guides for background. For anything time-critical, contact ACAS on 0300 123 1100 or Citizens Advice on 0800 144 8848.
General rights guidance, not legal advice.