Liverpool students have welcomed plans to increase minimum wage for young workers.
Workers between the ages of 18 and 20 being paid minimum wage will see an increase of 8.5% from £7.49 an hour to £10.85, as part of Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ budget last week.
Many students work alongside their degrees in order to afford their expenses, amid rising rent, food and energy costs.
Daniel Bowel, a 20-year-old law and politics student at The University of Liverpool, described the rise as the best way to support students.
He said: “It is going to increase pay for people in uni to be able to afford essentials like food and accommodation, specifically around here accommodation has gone up quite a lot.
“To get more people to do degrees and enjoy their time at university, and I think increasing the minimum wage is the best way to do that.”
Holly Darwin, an employed 20-year-old student at The University of Liverpool thinks the rise will make university life easier for students who are also working.
She said: “It will allow us more leeway; the maintenance loan doesn’t really cover much so it will allow actually afford to live and rent and have food.”
The increases have been recommended by the government’s independent adviser.
Over 21-year-olds will see minimum wage increase from £12.21 to £12.71, which the government said the increase will benefit 2.7 million workers with their annual earnings going up £900.
The highest maintenance loan for undergraduate university students outside of London can receive is a maximum of £10,544 annually for the 2025/2026 academic year.
But with the cost of rent continuously going up, a report last year from StuRents noted students are finding it challenging to pay rent with their maintenance loan.
The minimum wage will change in April 2026.
Featured image: Megan Rogers-Jones
