From November 6^th – November 11^th, it’s Living Wage Week! Here at Mustard Tree we are incredibly proud to be one of the 3500 accredited Living Wage employers  in the UK.

So what is the National Living Wage all about? How is it different from Minimum Wage, and how does it link intrinsically with our values at Mustard Tree?

The National Minimum Wage is set by the Government at £7.50 for over 25’s. However, the National Living Wage, is opt-in for businesses and employers in the UK, and is the only wage rate based on what people actually need to live in the UK.

• Minimum wage is not enough to live on and is often the starting point of a host of social, economic and health problems that cannot be escaped because of the low income trap.
• The Living Wage by contrast has been set at £8.75 on Monday, rising 30p from £8.45 last year representing a 3.6% pay rise for workers at Living Wage employers!
• Many people receiving benefits are on minimum wage and struggle to meet ends meet, turning to emergency provision services
• From a recent report by KPMG, they found one in five people in the UK are earning below the National Living Wage rate, meaning an estimated 5.5 million people are struggling with in-work poverty. This has fallen for the first time in five years, however this still leaves the total of those under the Living Wage rate at over one million people more than in 2012
• Furthermore, Citizens Advice Manchester revealed in their own research that the vast majority of workers that were ‘just bout managing financially’ or ‘having difficulty meeting expenses’ had borrowed from family, friends, had pay day loans or used credit cards to meet essential expenses. The majority also said their health had been affected by in-work poverty e.g. stress, anxiety and depression.
• In line with our values of dignity and progression here at Mustard Tree, being able to offer career opportunities that allow people to make a living wage and not just survive, but thrive. Earning A ‘Living wage’ means independence and dignity for thousands of working people across the country.
• We are also really proud to say that we are about to recruit three new Living Wage positions at Mustard Tree for people who have lived experience of poverty or homelessness. We will be taking on a Helpdesk Support Worker, Creative Programes Worker and Freedom Support Worker and we are interviewing for all positions next week.
• By committing to paying Living Wage as an employer we stand by our values at Mustard Tree to combat poverty and homelessness.

Check out the Living Wage campaign here https://www.livingwage.org.uk/