The 2023 wage rise had to reach every version of the assignment

The pay floor that changed in April

The National Living Wage increased to £10.42 an hour for workers aged 23 and over on 1 April 2023. The 21–22 rate became £10.18; different rates applied to younger workers and qualifying apprentices. These were the historical rates for that period, rather than figures to reuse in a current vacancy.

A statutory hourly floor is only one input into an assignment’s economics. Recruitment fees, employer costs and any client charge need their own approvals. Our operational reading of the change is that a new pay table should trigger a review across the records that describe the same job, rather than a payroll-only instruction.

One assignment, several versions

Imagine an agency updating its payroll table while an older advert remains in a job-board feed. A consultant can then quote one figure, an offer template another, and the finance team receive a third. This is an illustrative process risk, not a reported incident or a claim that every discrepancy automatically establishes a legal breach.

A useful review starts with the source of each rate: who owns it, which date it applies from and which documents inherit it. Age bands and apprenticeship eligibility also need controlled handling. Recruiters should avoid collecting unnecessary personal information in open spreadsheets simply because an annual pay review is underway.

Connect the rate update to the handover

Within an agreed back-office remit, Key Med Solutions can help inventory live adverts, prepare a list of records requiring client review and update approved templates after sign-off. That gives the responsible payroll or HR owner a manageable queue instead of requiring consultants to remember every place a rate appears.

For temporary healthcare and other shift-based recruitment, the same exercise can connect assignment dates with approved pay and charge versions. A small change log can record the previous figure, authorised replacement, effective period and person approving the change. Exceptions should return to the client’s designated decision-maker before a new commitment is communicated.

The lesson from 2023 is practical: publish one approved source of rates and make downstream changes traceable. Key Med’s role can be research, administration and coordination; the employer and its advisers remain responsible for minimum-wage interpretation, payroll calculations and lawful pay.