At Suffolk Law Centre, we have been paying the Real Living Wage to all our staff since April 2022. We are delighted to announce that Suffolk Law Centre has been officially accredited as a Living Wage Employer as of 15th November 2024. Our Living Wage commitment will see everyone working at Suffolk Law Centre continue to receive an hourly wage of at least £12.60 in the UK, higher than the government minimum for over 21s, which currently stands at £11.44 per hour.
Suffolk Law Centre is based in the East of England, a region where over 12% of jobs pay less than the real Living Wage – around 297,000 jobs. Despite this, Suffolk Law Centre has committed to pay the real Living Wage and deliver a fair day’s pay for a hard day’s work.
The real Living Wage is the only wage rate calculated according to the costs of living. It provides a voluntary benchmark for employers that wish to ensure their staff earn a wage they can live on, not just the government minimum. Since 2011 the Living Wage movement has delivered a pay rise to nearly half a million people and put £3.5 billion extra into the pockets of low paid workers.
About the Living Wage
The real Living Wage is the only rate calculated according to what people need to make ends meet. It provides a voluntary benchmark for employers that choose to take a stand by ensuring their staff earn a wage that meets the costs and pressures they face in their everyday lives.
The UK Living Wage is currently £12.60 per hour. There is a separate London Living Wage rate of £13.85 per hour to reflect the higher costs of transport, childcare and housing in the capital. These figures are calculated annually by the Resolution Foundation and overseen by the Living Wage Commission, based on the best available evidence on living standards in London and the UK.
The Living Wage Foundation is the organisation at the heart of the movement of businesses, organisations and individuals who campaign for the simple idea that a hard day’s work deserves a fair day’s pay. The Living Wage Foundation receives guidance and advice from the Living Wage Advisory Council. The Foundation is supported by our principal partners: Aviva; IKEA; Joseph Rowntree Foundation; KPMG; Linklaters; Nationwide; Nestle; Resolution Foundation; Oxfam; Trust for London; People’s Health Trust; and Queen Mary University of London.
What about the Government’s ‘National Living Wage’?
In July 2015 the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced that the UK Government would introduce a compulsory ‘National Living Wage’, this was introduced in April 2016 and applied to all workers over the age of 25.
From 1st April 2024, workers aged 21 and over will be entitled to the National Living Wage which is £11.44 an hour. The Government’s rate is different to the Living Wage rates calculated by the Living Wage Foundation. The ‘National Living Wage’ is a legal minimum and is based on percentage of average earnings, whereas the Living Wage Foundation’s real Living Wage rates are voluntarily paid by employers. Our rates are independently calculated, updated annually according to the cost of living and apply to anyone aged 18 and over. The ‘National Living Wage’ also does not have a separate rate which accounts for higher living costs in the capital. A UK worker paid the real Living Wage earns an extra £2,262 a year more than someone on the ‘National Living Wage’.
For more about the difference and how The Living Wage Foundation calculate their rate please visit their website.
