Petition · past parliament
Equalise the minimum age for all adults.
Rejected
21 signatures
What the petition asks
A 19 year old and a 25 year old often face the same bills, the same expenses, and the same cost of living as one another. However, a 19 year old is only entitled to a minimum wage of £5.90p/h, whereas a 25 year old is entitled to living wage of £7.83p/h. This is a pay gap of £1.93 every hour.
In multi-billion pound organisations such as fast-food chains and retail stores, young adults work alongside their older colleagues, doing exactly the same jobs, yet they get paid significantly less, so this pay-gap is discriminatory and illogical.
If a 19 year old and a 25 year old both work a 30 hour week on minimum wage, the 19 year old will earn approximately £177, whereas their older counterpart will earn £234.90. This is a massive difference of just under £58 a week.
If a 19 year old and a 25 year old both work a 30 hour week on minimum wage, the 19 year old will earn approximately £177, whereas their older counterpart will earn £234.90. This is a massive difference of just under £58 a week.
Why it was rejected
There was already a petition about this issue. Duplicates are rejected so signatures collect in one place.
Timeline
| 19 Nov 2018 | Petition opened for signatures |
| 24 Nov 2018 | Rejected by the Petitions Committee |
Key facts
Signatures
21
Status
Rejected
Rejected
24 Nov 2018
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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.