King's College London

King’s College London and the Policy Institute are launching a new project, in partnership with Southwark Council and the Living Wage Foundation, to document the real-life impact of moving to a real living wage, following the experiences of a small number of employees and businesses in Southwark as they accredit to the London Living Wage (LLW).

This project builds on our previous work on how communities in London are experiencing the cost-of-living crisis, and what can be done to better support those struggling with rising costs. Through digital diary entries and interviews pre- and post-accreditation, we aim to capture employees' experiences of moving to a wage that is calculated to meet basic needs, sensitive to higher living costs in London. We’ll also be speaking with the employers involved about their motivations for deciding to accredit and expectations of impact, as well as potential barriers or challenges of accreditation.

The project is led by a team from the Policy Institute at King’s College London, in partnership with Southwark Council and the Living Wage Foundation. We’ll be working to help build a business case to encourage employers to accredit to the London Living Wage, as well as convening a wider discussion about addressing low pay in the context of rebuilding financial resilience.

Interested in participating?

The project is currently in its early stages and will continue until mid-2025. If you are a employer in Southwark who is looking to accredit to the London Living Wage (LLW) and are interested in collaborating with King’s College London on this research, please get in touch at delib@kcl.ac.uk.