National Minimum Wage

If you are working do not forget that you are entitled to the national minimum wage or national living wage depending on your age (you get the full one when you are 21). From April 2025 the national living wage for persons aged 21 years and over will be £12.21 per hour. This means your employer is not allowed to agree with you a lore hourly rate. 

Paid Holiday

Safe Working Environment

Pension

While it might feel too early to think about pensions, most employers offer you a chance to join an occupational pension scheme. You normally get enrolled automatically and you have the right to opt out.

If you change jobs, you can often transfer your benefits from one pension scheme to another, but it is crucial to keep details of all pension schemes to which you have contributed. Remember apart from the pension you will be paid under your voluntary occupational pension scheme(s) when you reach state pension age you will also be entitled to state pension provided you have paid enough year or NI contributions during your lifetime
(normally for 35 years).

The state pension age is currently 68 years old, so this is when you will start receiving your pension. The full basic State Pension was £221.20 per week in March 2025. This is expected to rise in line with inflation, but it is not meant to cover the full living expenses of older people hence the importance of joining your occupational pension fund.