The Real Living Wage is the only wage independently calculated to meet what workers and their families need to meet costs of living.

It is a voluntary rate of pay for employers that is calculated annually by the Resolution Foundation, on behalf of the Living Wage Foundation. It is based on the best available data on living standards in the UK.

The Real Living Wage is currently £13.45 per hour.

Living Wage Week

Living Wage Week 2025 takes place from 10 to 16 November.

It is an annual celebration of the Real Living Wage movement. For further information about the week and events you might attend, visit the Living Wage Foundation website.

The Living Wage in Cambridge

We have been paying the real Living Wage for over a decade, having received official accreditation from the Living Wage Foundation in 2014.

We pay the Real Living Wage to all directly employed staff, as well as to agency workers. We also commit to paying the Real Living Wage to all contracted staff engaged through our procurement processes.

We have been raising awareness about the Real Living Wage with businesses and other organisations since we became accredited. We have supported many with advice on practicalities around becomeing accredited.

About 75 accredited employers have their head offices in Cambridge or are an independent business in the city. Many more national employers have local branches. These are included in the list below of accredited organisations operating in Cambridge.

Benefits of the Real Living Wage

We believe that the Real Living Wage is good for business. It can lead to:

• reduction in staff turnover and sickness rates
• less absenteeism
• improved staff morale and productivity
• better retention of staff
• recruitment of committed staff
• reputation as an ethical employer

It is also good for workers, helping them to:

• provide properly for themselves and their family
• rely less on benefits
• not have to work excessive hours
• have more time for their family

And it is good for Cambridge, leading to:

• more money being spent locally
• a high-quality, better paid workforce

Get help with becoming a Real Living Wage employer

If you are based in Cambridge and interested in becoming a Real Living Wage employer, we can help answer questions about the Real Living Wage and accreditation. Contact us at equalities@cambridge.gov.uk.

National Living Wage

The government’s statutory ‘National Living Wage’, applicable to people over 21, is separate to the Real Living Wage rate calculated by the Living Wage Foundation.

The Real Living Wage is calculated solely on what is needed to cover living costs – what people need for an acceptable, basic standard of living. It’s a rate that employers choose to pay voluntarily to go beyond the statutory minimum.

The real Living Wage applies to all workers over the age of 18 working for a Living Wage Employer and is £13.45 an hour across the UK and £14.80 an hour in London.

The National Living Wage applies to people over the age of 21 and is worth £12.21 an hour. A full-time worker earning the new, real Living Wage would earn £2,418 a year more than a worker earning the current government minimum.

Guidance for employees

Contact Cambridge and District Citizens Advice if you:

• have questions on how your change in income will impact on your benefits
• want support in budgeting
• have problems with your pay

Real Living Wage employers in Cambridge

More than 75 organisations who are based in Cambridge are accredited Real Living wage employers.