The living wage is based on the amount an individual needs to earn to cover the basic costs of living.
This is a really cool endeavor by our friends over in the UK.
1. To acknowledge that minimum wage is not enough to live off of.
2. To bring research and numbers to the table so change can occur.
3. To be a benchmark for everyday citizens to gauge their jobs and pay.
4. To bring change about not through strict enforcement but through an informed populace.
5. To bring pressure to private sector (and public sector) to reduce need of government
Something to note in the midst of this – more money doesn’t solve problems. To give someone who has been living in poverty with a day-to-day survival mentality more money doesn’t automatically change that mindset. Such a system only keeps people in cycles of poverty. It is important and necessary to champion both livable wages and how to steward that wage well. Pray for the Church to be a champion of living wage in this way.