Real living wage

The Real Living Wage is a voluntary pay rate set by the Living Wage Foundation, a campaigning foundation established in 2011 with the goal of advocating for a wage that allows all working people to afford a basic standard of living.

In October 2023, the Real Living Wage was increased to £12 (£13.15 in London) per hour to reflect the increased cost of living in the UK. This is notably higher than the similarly named  “National Living Wage” — the term created by the UK government to describe the minimum wage for adults aged 21 or older — which is currently set at £11.44 per hour.

While not a legal requirements, many businesses that pay their employees equivalent to the Real Living Wage, and who are affiliated members of the Living Wage Foundation, are keen to advertise the fact — seeing this as a way to stand out from the crowd when recruiting, and to demonstrate that they offer a positive employee experience to their staff.