Will the Real Living Wage Increase again in October [2025]?

Many organisations have committed to paying the Real Living Wage, which is currently higher than the statutory National Minimum Wage / National Living Wage. It is an "aspiration" pay rate which more accurately reflects the cost of living, and so an annual increase should be good news for workers whose employers have committed to paying this rate rather than the minimum wage. 

An increase might be good news for employees, but it signals further wage inflation, which is crippling for SME businesses and the Not For not-for-profit sector and likely to result in fewer jobs as firms look to reduce costs.