The Living Wage Foundation has announced a new UK Living Wage hourly rate of £9.50, up 20p an hour from the previous rate. In London the rate has increased 10p to £10.85 an hour.

More than 800 more employers have accredited with the Living Wage Foundation since the start of the pandemic, with major new names including Tate and Lyle Sugars, Network Rail, the All England Lawn Tennis Club, and Capital One.

These organisations join a network of almost 7,000 employers across the UK, including two-fifths of the FTSE 100 companies, household names like Aviva, Nationwide, and Brewdog, as well as thousands of small businesses, who pay the real Living Wage to ensure all staff earn a wage that meets the real cost of living, and covers everyday needs.

Research conducted by Cardiff Business School has demonstrated the significant impact of the Living Wage campaign since the start of the pandemic.

More than 250,000 workers have benefitted from an additional £200m since the start of lockdown, including 130,000 key workers.

Since 2011 more than £1.3bn in extra wages has gone to workers and families through the Living Wage.

The UK rate is 78p per hour more than the government minimum wage (for over 25s) and the London Living Wage is £2.13 per hour higher.

A full-time worker paid the new £9.50 real Living Wage will receive more than £1,500 in additional wages annually compared to the current government minimum. For a full-time worker in London this figure rises to more than £4,000.

Laura Gardiner, director of the Living Wage Foundation, said: “It’s an incredibly challenging time for us all, but today’s new Living Wage rates will give a boost to hundreds of thousands of UK workers, including thousands of key and essential workers like cleaners, care workers, and delivery drivers who have kept our economy going.

“Since the start of the pandemic employers have continued to sign up to a real Living Wage. During Living Wage Week it’s right that we celebrate those employers that have done right by workers and families, providing them with much needed security and stability even when times are hard. These are the employers that will allow us to recover and rebuild from this crisis.”