The minimum wage will this week rise for more than a million workers.

Low paid workers over the age of 22 will see their hourly rate rise to £4.20 an hour, and the development rate for 18-21 year olds will increase to £3.60 an hour.

The government has undertaken a month-long advertising campaign to inform against employers that refuse to bring in the new rates.

The increases had been recommended by the Low Pay Commission.Alan Johnson, the employment relations minister, said the increase would have a real impact on the lives of millions of families across the country.

"The government is committed to making work pay and the National Minimum Wage, alongside Working Tax Credits and the New Deal, is key to tackling poverty," he said.

"The minimum wage is a great success story. The work of the Low Pay Commission is a great example of a partnership approach where business, unions and other stakeholders sit down together to reach agreement on the right level for the minimum wage.

"They successfully strike a balance between benefiting the low paid, without putting any undue burdens on business."