BBC :
Thousands of UK workers are set for a pay rise after a surge in the number of companies signed up to the Living Wage.
The number of companies has more than doubled in the last year, meaning 35,000 low-paid workers will see their pay rise when the wage is increased on Monday, Citizens UK said.
The current Living Wage rate is £7.65 an hour, compared with the national minimum wage of £6.50.
The Living Wage reflects what workers require to meet their basic needs.
In London, the Living Wage is currently £8.80 an hour.
The rate is set by the Living Wage Foundation, part of the community organisation Citizens UK, and is calculated by the Centre for Research in Social Policy at Loughborough University. It has cross-party support.
Last week, research published by the Resolution Foundation think tank found that a record five million UK workers were in low-paid jobs, having risen by 250,000 in the last 12 months.
This was a problem for the government, it said, because it kept income tax revenues low.
“The good news is that the number of accredited Living Wage employers has more than doubled this year – over 1,000 employers across the UK have signed up,” said Rhys Moore, director of the Living Wage Foundation.
He added that the number of the companies signed up in the FTSE 100 had risen from four to 18, and included Canary Wharf Group and Standard Life. Nationwide and Nestle have also signed up.
“Low pay costs the taxpayer money – firms that pay the minimum wage are seeing their workers’ pay topped up through the benefits system,” he said.
Thousands of UK workers are set for a pay rise after a surge in the number of companies signed up to the Living Wage.
The number of companies has more than doubled in the last year, meaning 35,000 low-paid workers will see their pay rise when the wage is increased on Monday, Citizens UK said.
The current Living Wage rate is £7.65 an hour, compared with the national minimum wage of £6.50.
The Living Wage reflects what workers require to meet their basic needs.
In London, the Living Wage is currently £8.80 an hour.
The rate is set by the Living Wage Foundation, part of the community organisation Citizens UK, and is calculated by the Centre for Research in Social Policy at Loughborough University. It has cross-party support.
Last week, research published by the Resolution Foundation think tank found that a record five million UK workers were in low-paid jobs, having risen by 250,000 in the last 12 months.
This was a problem for the government, it said, because it kept income tax revenues low.
“The good news is that the number of accredited Living Wage employers has more than doubled this year – over 1,000 employers across the UK have signed up,” said Rhys Moore, director of the Living Wage Foundation.
He added that the number of the companies signed up in the FTSE 100 had risen from four to 18, and included Canary Wharf Group and Standard Life. Nationwide and Nestle have also signed up.
“Low pay costs the taxpayer money – firms that pay the minimum wage are seeing their workers’ pay topped up through the benefits system,” he said.
