The real living wage rate has increased by 20p per hour, rising from £9.30 to £9.50 an hour for employees working across the UK, as announced by the Living Wage Foundation today (Monday 9 November 2020).
The real London living wage, paid voluntarily by employers has also increased by 10p, from £10.75 to £10.85 an hour. It is estimated that over 250,000 employees will benefit from these changes in pay rates.
The living wage, which is calculated each year to meet the cost of living and supporting a family in the capital, is currently set by the Living Wage Foundation. The current legal minimum requirement that an organisation must pay its employees currently stands at £8.75 per hour for employees over 25.
Laura Gardiner, director at Living Wage Foundation, said: “It is an incredibly challenging time for us all, but the new living wage rates will give a boost to hundreds of thousands of UK staff, including thousands of key and essential workers like cleaners, care workers, and delivery drivers who have kept our economy going.
“Since the start of the Covid-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic employers have continued to sign up to a real Living Wage. It is right that we celebrate those employers that have done right by staff and families, providing them with security and stability even when times are hard. These are the employers that will allow us to recover and rebuild from this crisis.”