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Supermarkets including Aldi, Tesco and Morrisons have announced a new £13 rule that aims to help with the cost of living crisis. A number of the UK's largest supermarkets have increased the pay for their employees, with Aldi and Lidl among the market leaders and paying well above minimum wage. As it stands, the National Minimum Wage is £12.21 per hour for those aged 21 years and over.

However, seven of the UK's leading supermarkets are implementing new £13 policies this month, paying their employees more amid ever-increasing costs of living. From April 2026, the statutory minimum wage will increase to £12.71. But the Real Living Wage, which is determined by the Living Wage Foundation, a charitable organisation, is higher than that, and some employers opt to pay that as a minimum rate to their staff. The Real Living Wage currently stands at £13.45. As a result, several supermarkets have decided to pay workers £13 or more.

Aldi recently announced its second pay rise for staff, paying its store assistants £13.50 hourly from April, merely one month following an increase scheduled to commence in March.

Meanwhile, London-based employees will receive £14.88. Both rates rise according to tenure. Aldi stated the salary enhancement will benefit 28,000 team members, with entry-level employees getting paid more than those at other supermarkets.

Giles Hurley, the chief executive of Aldi UK and Ireland, said the company knows that "every single member of Team Aldi is fundamental to our success and deserve nothing less".

Lidl has also revealed that it will pay its employees more than £13 per hour amid the current cost-of-living crisis. It marks the seventh wage hike from the discount retailer since 2023.

The starting hourly wage rose to £13.45 nationally from March 1, escalating to £14.45 with tenure. For London workers, the hourly rate increases from £14.35 to £14.80, increasing again to £15.30 with length of service.

With these rates, Lidl remains the only supermarket in the UK to pay both the Real Living Wage across the country and the London Living Wage.

Sainsbury's, which is considered one of the big 4 supermarkets in the UK, is also increasing its employees' wages and paying more than £13 per hour. Supermarket bosses confirmed that hourly wages will rise to £13.23 nationally and £14.54 within London.

This translates to around £1,200 extra per year, in addition to comprehensive benefits as well. Simon Roberts, Chief Executive of Sainsbury's, said: "Our colleagues are at the heart of our business. Their hard work, dedication and commitment have driven our strong momentum and helped us win grocery market share growth for the sixth consecutive Christmas period. I'm delighted to share that we will be raising pay for our hourly-paid colleagues by five per cent this year. This increase reflects our commitment to rewarding our colleagues for their exceptional service and productivity."

Marks and Spencer has been introducing more cost-friendly products amid the cost of living crisis, and it is committed to helping its staff as well. From April 1, 2026, the supermarket will increase its retail pay from £12.60 to £13.41 per hour, and from £13.85 to £14.74 per hour for London-based staff.

According to M&S bosses, more than 50,000 employees will benefit from these increases. It comes as the supermarket plans an ambitious expansion across the UK, revealing the 500 locations it has earmarked as destinations where an M&S food store could open.

Asda compensates its workforce at £12.60 hourly as of October 2025, rising to £13.82 for London-based staff. Around 115,000 employees benefited from this wage increase, the supermarket says.

Hayley Tatum MBE, Chief People Officer at Asda said: "We're proud to have invested more than £500m in retail pay over the last four years.

"Our colleagues are what make Asda special, and this latest pay investment, plus an increased colleague discount and enhanced family-friendly policies, recognises the key role they play in serving customers each day."

Morrisons has not announced big changes like the other supermarkets mentioned here. However, Retail Gazette reports that Morrisons employees receive a national wage of £12.21, which increases to £13.06 for those based in London.