National Living Wage Rate Increased

The UK rate has increased by 2.4 per cent from £8.25 to £8.45. This wage, promoted by the Living Wage Foundation campaign group, is 17 per cent higher than the government minimum of £7.20 per hour for over-25s that was introduced in April this year.

In total nearly 1,000 employers have signed up since Living Wage Week last year, bringing the total number of accredited Living Wage organisations to nearly 3000. This year over 300 more London-based employers have signed up to pay their staff the hourly rate, bringing the number of London Living Wage employers to nearly 1000.

Sadiq Khan, mayor of London said, “It’s great news that London is leading the way in paying the Living Wage and that over 1,000 businesses are now accredited and helping to make this a fairer and more equal city. I’m glad to say we’re well on track to see it rise to over £10 an hour during my mayoralty, but we need to go further and for many more businesses and organisations to sign up. Our economy continues to grow and for the first time in London’s history we now have over one million businesses based here. It’s essential that hard-working Londoners, who keep this city going, are rewarded for their integral role in this success.”

Katherine Chapman, director of the Living Wage Foundation said, “Today’s new Living Wage rates bring a welcome pay rise to thousands of workers across the UK. 1 in 5 people earn less than the wage they need to get by. That’s why it’s more important than ever for leading employers to join the growing movement of businesses and organisations that are going further than the government minimum and making sure their employees earn enough to cover the cost of living. As we kick off Living Wage Week today we are celebrating nearly 3000 employers across the UK who lead the way on tackling low pay by paying the real Living Wage. The sheer growth of our movement shows that the Living Wage is good for people and good for business.”