Lancaster City Council accredited as Real Living Wage employer

Lancaster City Council has received Real Living Wage (RLW) employer accreditation from the Living Wage Foundation.

For the last 10 years the council has made sure that all of its employees are paid at least the RLW but has now received official accreditation to show civic leadership on the issue.

This means that in addition to paying its own staff the RLW, it is committed to influencing other businesses and organisations to also pay the benchmark rate.

Councillor Jason Wood, cabinet member with responsibility for corporate services, said: “The council has long been a living wage employer and it is great to see that we are now officially accredited by the Living Wage Foundation.

“With the cost of living crisis showing no sign of ending, being paid the Real Living Wage is more important than ever and I hope it encourages other employers and organisations to adopt a similar approach.”

The RLW is calculated annually according to what people need to make ends meet. It provides a voluntary benchmark for employers can choose to pay to ensure their staff earn a wage that meets the costs and pressures they face in their everyday lives. It is set each year by the Living Wage Foundation and is calculated based on living costs.

The UK real living wage is currently set at £10.90, compared with the government living wage of £10.42 for those aged 23 and over and £10.18 for those aged between 21 and 22.

Katherine Chapman, Director, Living Wage Foundation said: “We’re delighted that Lancaster City Council has joined the movement of over 12,000 responsible employers across the UK who voluntarily commit to go further than the government minimum to make sure all their staff earn enough to live on. “They join thousands of small businesses, as well as household names such as Burberry, Barclays, Everton Football Club and many more. These businesses recognise that paying the Real Living Wage is the mark of a responsible employer and they, like Lancaster City Council, believe that a hard day’s work deserves a fair day’s pay."

Last updated: 16 October 2023