Almost half a million workers paid the Real Living Wage are set to receive an increase after new rates were announced.
The hourly rate will rise by 85p to £13.45 an hour in 2026, or 6.7%, and by 95p to £14.80 an hour in London – a 6.9% increase.
The improved rates will be paid by the growing number of real living wage employers, which now total more than 16,000.
We all know what it's like when life throws us unexpected costs like a boiler breaking down just when you least want.
But for many UK workers paid below the real Living Wage, they have no financial safety net to deal with these kind of emergencies.
➡️ https://t.co/He7M3L9Mj8 pic.twitter.com/4kzrqjRybY— Living Wage Foundation (@LivingWageUK) October 10, 2025
This year’s rise means a full-time worker earning the real living wage will take home £2,418 more per year than someone on the Government’s minimum wage, and £5,050 more in London, said the Living Wage Foundation, which sets the rates.
The foundation said that despite economic challenges in the UK, the number of employers signed up to pay the real living wage has continued to grow, with nearly 2,500 new accreditations over the past year.
The employers commit to paying all their staff, as well as their third-party contractors like cleaners and security guards, at least the real living wage.
One in seven employees across the UK now work for an accredited living wage employer.
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Katherine Chapman, executive director of the Living Wage Foundation, says: “We all need a wage that covers life’s essentials, and the real living wage is the only UK wage rate independently calculated based solely on what is needed to cover rising living costs.
“The new rates announced today will make a massive difference to workers and their families, helping them to better cope with the costs of rent, bills, food and other essentials, and to live with stability and security.
“It remains a tough time for low-paid workers, with 4.5 million people still earning less than the real living wage and struggling to escape the grip of in-work poverty. That’s why we encourage as many employers as possible to do the right thing and commit to paying a wage that reflects the real cost of living.
“Despite the challenges businesses face, our movement continues to grow, with over 16,000 employers now accredited. These leading employers are showing that paying the real living wage has a far-reaching impact on staff, businesses and society.”
