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Real Living Wage rates have increased by just under 7%.

The Real Living Wage applies to all workers over the age of 18 working for a Living Wage Employer and is now £13.45 an hour across the UK (a 6.7% increase) and £14.80 an hour in London (a 6.9% increase). Accredited employers have 6 months to implement them by 1 May 2026.

The government’s National Living Wage applies to those over the age of 21 and is worth £12.21 an hour.

The Real Living Wage is different from the government’s statutory minimum wage rate (the National Living Wage) for those over the age of 21. The real Living Wage is a higher, voluntary rate that is independently calculated based on the cost of living. The government’s rate is the legal minimum businesses are required to pay by law.

A full-time worker earning the new, Real Living Wage would earn £2,418 a year more than a worker earning the current government minimum. In London, a full-time worker on the new Real Living Wage rate would earn an additional £5,050 a year compared to a worker on the current NLW.