Telford and Wrekin Council pays employees higher that the minimum wage, report says

Sue Wilson the council's HR manager said the council chooses to pay the voluntary rate – which stands at £9.50 per hour, 59p higher than the current legal minimum for over-23s.

The Living Wage Foundation is due to announce a new Real Living Wage rate next month.

The committee, which is chaired by council leader Shaun Davies, will discuss her report on Tuesday, November 2.

The National Living Wage, the legally-binding hourly minimum employees have to pay workers aged 23 and over, stands at £8.91.

In his budget statement on Wednesday, October 27, Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak MP announced it would rise to £9.50 from April 2022.

The lower rates that apply to younger age-groups and apprentices are also due to rise by between four and 10 per cent.

“The current Real Living Wage is £9.50 an hour,” the reports says.

“The Real Living Wage currently paid by the council, is set each year by the Living Wage Foundation. This hourly rate is above the National Living Wage and is a voluntary rate that employers can pay.

“The council makes this investment in our employees based on our values to ensure that our employees earn a wage that meets the cost of living.

“On November 15 it is expected that, as part of Living Wage Week, the new Real Living Wage will be announced.

“It is therefore proposed that, after consultation with the chair of the committee, authority to update the council’s pay policy to enable any proposed update to the Real Living Wage with effect from April 1, 2022, be delegated to the Director of Finance and Human Resources, dependent on the financial viability of such an increase in line with the council’s overall financial position.”

The Living Wage Foundation – a campaigning organisation unconnected to the government – sets the advisory Real Living Wage and applies a higher hourly rate in London. This currently stands at £10.85.