Talk Money Week: what is the real Living Wage?

This week is also Living Wage Week, which raises awareness of the real Living Wage, and the organisations that provide this to their staff.

The real Living Wage is an hourly rate of pay – separate to the UK government’s National Living and Minimum Wage, which is set independently and updated annually according to the basic cost of living in the UK. Unlike the National Living and Minimum Wage, employers choose to pay the Living Wage on a voluntary basis.

Since the campaign first began in 2011, the real Living Wage has impacted over 460,000 employees and given an extra £3b to the lowest paid workers in the UK. 14,000 employers – Hillcrest included – have committed to paying this increased rate to help their staff live more comfortably.

Many more people can still benefit from receiving the real Living Wage, so this week is a great opportunity to spread the word and raise awareness of this very worthwhile cause in the hope that more employers will follow suit.