The real living wage is to see a 2.8% rise to £9 an hour and a 3.4% rise to £10.55 an hour in London. The rate, which is calculated independently by the Living Wage Foundation is different from the National Living Wage as employers voluntarily sign up to it. Companies, who do, are required to pay the Real Living Wage to all staff and sub-contractors. The rise will affect around 180,000 employees.
The National Living Wage (applicable to workers aged 25 and over) is currently £7.83 an hour and is to increase to £8.21 an hour from April 2019.