The first week in November sees Living Wage Week, where we spread the word about the importance of fair pay and the impact it has on people’s lives.
What is the Real Living Wage?
The Real Living Wage is set by the Living Wage Foundation. In fact, the new rate for 2024-25 was announced just a few days ago, and businesses will be implementing it over the next 6 months.
The Real Living Wage is based on the real cost of living in the UK. It is independently calculated using a real basket of household goods and services, so it reflects the prices we all see in our own family’s bills. You can find out more about it is calculated each year, here.
Why is it different?
The National Living Wage is set by the Government for workers over the age of 21. It is based on a target to reach 66% of median hourly pay by April 2024. This means it is calculated using wages data, not on actual costs. With increases in the cost of basics such as food and energy, this leaves many low paid workers without enough in their pay packet to make ends meet.
As an example, the National Living Wage for 2024 is £11.44. However, the Real Living Wage is £12.00 (and will be increasing to £12.60 by 1st May 2025). The Living Wage Foundation calculates that in 2023, a worker on the National Living Wage would earn £2,262 less than someone earning the Real Living Wage.
The London Living Wage
As Londoners, we know that living in the city costs more. Essential bills like rent, travel, childcare and even food can be significantly higher. This is reflected in a special London rate (currently £13.15, rising to £13.85 for 2024-25). The National Living Wage is the same wherever you live – regardless of what it costs to get by.
Why pay the Real Living Wage
We are proud to be affiliated to the Living Wage Foundation. In fact, this year we were delighted to win the Living Wage Foundation Trailblazer Award for our work to bring about change in the cleaning industry.
And we are in good company. Living Wage accredited businesses include big household names such as Ikea, Lush, Chelsea Football Club, and Burberry. Smaller local businesses are also on board, from cafes to bakeries, and boutiques to bookshops. You can see a full list of accredited businesses here.
For our Helpers, receiving the Real Living Wage makes a big difference to their lives. It means being able to spend more time with their families, because they don’t need to work several jobs to make ends meet. It means more security, so unexpected costs like school uniform or dental costs are less stressful. And it means they can afford the things that bring joy to life, like birthday gifts, or holidays. It’s about thriving, not just surviving.
One of our Helpers, Nina, explains more in this video.
We are proud to be one of the best paying cleaning companies in London. And we will be working towards a bold pay rise for our cleaning colleagues this year, that exceeds the London Living Wage.
Benefits for everyone
Like Nina, are Helpers stay with us for longer because of the security they get from receiving the Real Living Wage. And that means we can nurture an experienced, knowledgeable and dedicated team to clean your home week after week.
And of course, when you arrange your cleaning through a Real Living Wage cleaning business, you can be confident that the person cleaning your home is being paid fairly. Your spending decisions really can help to change the world, one clean at a time.
