EMPLOYMENT

Almost half a million people working for real Living Wage Employers throughout the country are set for a vital cost-of-living pay boost, as the real Living Wage rates rise to £12.60 an hour across the UK and £13.85 an hour in London.

BPCA is proud to be an accredited Living Wage Employer, which means that every member of staff working for us will earn a real Living Wage.

The real Living Wage vs the ‘National Living Wage’ - the difference 

The real Living Wage is different to the government’s minimum wage rate, which for those over the age of 21 is often called the “National Living Wage”.

It is a higher, voluntary rate that is independently calculated based solely on the actual cost of living. The Government’s rate is the legal minimum businesses are required to pay by law.    

The real Living Wage applies to all workers over the age of 18 working for a Living Wage Employer and is £12.60 an hour. The ‘National Living Wage’ applies to those over the age of 21 and is worth £11.44 an hour.  

A full-time worker earning the new, real Living Wage would earn £2,262 a year more than a worker earning the current government minimum (NLW), and £1,170 more than their current pay.

In London, a full-time worker on the new real Living Wage rate would earn an additional £4,700 a year compared to a worker on the current NLW, and £1,365 more than their current pay.  

The Living Wage movement continues to grow 

Despite the economic challenges, in the past three years record numbers of employers have signed up to pay the real Living Wage, including to their third-party contractors like cleaners and security guards, with 1 in 9 employees now working for an accredited Living Wage Employer.  

Over 15,000 organisations, including BPCA, voluntarily choose to pay the real Living Wage because we believe that a hard day’s work deserves a fair day’s pay.

You can find other organisations who pay the Living Wage here.

If you want to be a real Living Wage accredited employer, start the process today!

Find out more