You may have heard on the news the phrase the “Living Wage” and wondered like us what it is.

The Living Wage is the amount it is estimated people need to earn to support their living costs. The amount is higher than the National Minimum Wage which by law companies have to pay.

This therefore means that people being paid the National Minimum Wage aren’t earning enough to live on.

The Living Wage is calculated as £7.85 per hour (or £9.15 around London) compared to the National Minimum Wage of just £6.50 per hour.

The Living Wage Foundation was set-up to encourage employers to pay at least the Living Wage to their employees (rather than just the National Minimum Wage).

National Express are the largest private sector employer to confirm they would be paying all their staff at least the Living Wage.