Overview
- About half a million employees at more than 16,000 accredited organisations are set to benefit when employers move to the new rates by next April.
- The uplift adds 85p to £13.45 nationwide (6.7%) and 95p to £14.80 in London (6.9%), leaving a full-time worker £2,418 a year better off than on the government minimum, or £5,050 in London.
- The Real Living Wage is distinct from the statutory national living wage, which is expected to be around £12.71 from April subject to the Low Pay Commission’s recommendation.
- Living Wage Foundation research reports 42% of low-paid workers used food banks in the past year and around 4.5 million people still earn less than the Real Living Wage.
- Unions warn many NHS and other public-sector staff remain below the new benchmark, citing a £12.51 minimum in NHS England and flagging retention risks, while business groups back the principle but urge the Autumn Budget not to raise costs.