Living Wage Week 2026: celebrating 25 years of the real Living Wage

Twenty-five years ago, workers and communities in East London came together around a shared belief: a working day should earn enough to cover everyday life.

That belief grew into the Living Wage movement. This Living Wage Week, from 9-15 November 2026, we’re celebrating the Living Wage Foundation, the campaigners who started it all, and everyone helping to turn fair pay into lasting change.

From a local campaign to a national movement

The campaign began in 2001, when Citizens UK brought together workers, community groups, faith organisations and schools to discuss the pressures facing local families. Low pay came up again and again.

People were working multiple jobs and still struggling to meet their living costs. Together, they began asking employers to do more.

Their determination helped build support across hospitals, schools and major businesses. In 2011, the Living Wage Foundation was established and the first UK-wide Living Wage rate launched, giving employers a recognised way to commit to pay based on living costs.

It’s a remarkable story of people coming together, being heard and changing expectations about work. You can explore the history of the Living Wage movement on the Foundation’s website.

Twenty-five years of progress worth celebrating

The Foundation’s anniversary report, A real Living Wage: 25 years in, captures the scale of that collective effort:

• £4.1 billion transferred into workers’ pockets.
• More than 16,000 accredited employers across the UK.
• Over 450,000 workers receiving higher pay each month because their employer pays the real Living Wage.

Those figures represent years of organising, conversations and commitment. They also represent something deeply personal: more breathing room in household budgets and greater freedom to plan everyday life.

The report shares workers’ experiences of what fair pay makes possible, from feeling valued at work to having more time with family. Those stories bring the achievement to life.

What makes the real Living Wage different?

The real Living Wage is independently calculated around living costs, with separate rates for London and the rest of the UK. Employers choose to pay it voluntarily.

It is different from the government’s statutory National Living Wage.

Keeping the cost of living at the heart of the conversation has been central to the movement’s work: recognising that wages affect people’s homes, health, relationships and opportunities.

Looking towards the next 25 years

This anniversary is also an opportunity to support what comes next.

Alongside its work on fair pay, the Foundation’s Living Hours and Living Pension accreditations address security over working hours and provision for retirement. Together, they recognise that financial wellbeing depends on more than an hourly rate.

There is still work ahead. But the progress of the past 25 years offers plenty of reason to celebrate – and encouragement to keep going.

Proud to support the movement

At Carbon Creative, we’re proud to be an accredited Living Wage Employer and to support the Living Wage Foundation’s work. It’s a commitment that sits naturally alongside our values.

This week, our thanks go to the workers, organisers, campaigners and Foundation team whose determination has helped make fairer pay a reality for so many people.