Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) direct employees, (b) contractors, and (c) agency workers who work in their Department and relevant agencies and public bodies, receive a wage below that of either (i) the UK Real Living Wage outside of Greater London, or (ii) the London Living Wage inside of Greater London, as determined by the Living Wage Foundation.

In April 2016, the Government introduced a higher minimum wage called the National Living Wage, which was increased to £9.50 per hour for those aged 23 and over, on 1^st April 2022. All employers in the UK are required to comply with National Minimum Wage legislation and all Home Office employees are paid at or above this rate.

The Living Wage Foundation (LWF) is an initiative by Citizens UK which advocates employers paying an alternative hourly rate known as the Living Wage or London Living Wage. which they believe represents a minimum income standard, reflecting the basic cost of living in the UK. The current Living Wage across the UK is £9.90 and London Living Wage is £11.05.

There are 495 staff, working nationally that are paid less than the LWF Living Wage. All staff based within London are paid above the LWF London Living Wage. This figure does not take into account the pay award for 2022 – 2023, where negotiations with the trades unions are currently taking place to determine the uplift to the AA grade (the grade affected by changes to either the Government NLW or LWFs London/living wage).

When the pay award is implemented, it will be backdated to July, the start of the pay award year.

Home Office does not require its contractors or suppliers (covering Agency workers) to comply with the London Living Wage although they must comply with pay legislation.

Of the agencies and public bodies sponsored by the Home Office, they currently have 22 direct employees outside Greater London who are paid less than National Living Wage.