Real Living Wage increases by 10%

07 Nov 2023

The Real Living Wage has increased by 10% this year, the Living Wage Foundation has announced.

The rates have risen to £12 an hour across the UK and £13.15 an hour in London. The increase affects over 460,000 people working for 14,000 Real Living Wage employers across the UK.

Unlike the National Living Wage (NLW), the Real Living Wage is independently calculated based on rising living costs and applies to everyone over 18.

A full-time worker earning the new, Real Living Wage would earn £3,081 a year more than a worker earning the NLW.

Katherine Chapman, Living Wage Foundation Director, said: 'As inflation eases, we cannot forget that low paid workers remain at the sharp end of the cost-of-living crisis. Low paid workers continue to struggle with stubbornly high prices because they spend a larger share of their budget on food and energy.

'During these tough economic times, it is heartening that record numbers of employers are signing up to join the Living Wage movement, protecting everyone who works for them - including cleaners - from rising prices and seeing the benefits of a more motivated and engaged workforce.'