Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of financial support available to apprentices.

From April 2026 the Apprentice National Minimum Wage will increase by 6% to £8.00 per hour, from £7.55. This new rate will help encourage more young people to enter the labour market via apprenticeships, helping fill the skills gaps our country faces.

The department continues to provide employers and providers with additional funding to support apprenticeship opportunities for young people. The department provides £1,000 to both employers and training providers when they take on apprentices aged 16 to 18, and up to age 24 for apprentices with an education, health and care plan, or who have been in local authority care. These payments can be used to support costs such as work equipment, uniforms, or travel.

Apprentices under the age of 25 that have been, or are, in local authority care can claim a bursary of £3,000 when they start an apprenticeship. This supports them as they transition into employment.

Apprentices may also be eligible for local discounted travel schemes. For example, apprentices over 18, living in a London borough and in the first year of an apprenticeship, can get discounted travel with an Oyster photocard.

The government remains committed to keeping apprentice pay and financial support under review to support the attraction of talented individuals into apprenticeships, whilst remaining fair for employers.