With continued pressures from the rising cost of living, understanding the role of the London Living Wage and its impact on residents’ daily lives remains a key priority.

The Living the London Living Wage project, delivered in collaboration with Southwark Council and the Living Wage Foundation, examined these issues in detail. Although Southwark has over 450 accredited Living Wage Employers, as of 2025 around 19,000 people working in the borough continued to earn below the London Living Wage (Mignon, 2026). Further action on fair pay in the borough is therefore essential.

In Autumn 2025, we helped to support the campaign for fair pay in Southwark by following the lives of 15 Southwark residents over a month between pay days – half of whom were earning above and half who were earning below the London Living Wage. Using a series of digital diaries, interviews, and a creative workshop, the study offered a detailed look at how pay shapes everyday routines, budgeting decisions, wellbeing, and people’s ability to participate fully in community life. The result is a personal and moving set of stories that highlight how pay is impacting the lives of this group of Southwark residents, and a clear call to action for employers, local government and policymakers.

This project was funded by the Economic and Social Research Council’s Impact Acceleration Fund and by Southwark Council.

Key findings

• Participants who earned below the London Living Wage tended to budget with extreme precision, with little room to absorb unexpected costs
• Low pay had ripple effects beyond income alone, contributing to stress, anxiety, reduced social connection and a loss of control over future plans
• The cost of travel, socialising and everyday activities limited many participants’ ability to fully engage in local community life
• Earning the London Living Wage provided greater stability and flexibility, but did not fully shield people from financial pressures, especially for those with children
• Living Wage employers were widely viewed as fair, ethical and compassionate, and paying the London Living Wage as beneficial for both workers and organisations

Publications

A call to action from Southwark residents

After completing their digital diaries and interviews, 9 of the participants took part in an in-person workshop, run in collaboration with GOOD STUDIO – a riso-print studio run by artist Jo Brinton. Drawing on material captured in the diaries and interviews, the group created a series of “month in the life” stories, based on four fictional personas, that brought their collective experiences to life. They also produced a call to action, outlining five changes they believe are needed to make London a fair and liveable city for people on lower incomes.

• Explore the resident‑designed zine and call to action.
• Access the plain text version.

Key findings report

This report presents a summary of the events that participants described in their digital diaries, and their reflections in interviews and the creative workshop about fair pay in London. The report examines key areas such as the events and financial pressures participants encountered over the month, how they budgeted and the financial trade-offs they made, the impacts of these decisions on their wellbeing, and lastly their views on the London Living Wage.

The report is designed to be read alongside the resident‑produced call to action and the fictionalised “month‑in‑the‑life” stories.

• Read the full report
• Access the plain text version

Related research

This study builds on our project, Breaking Point: The cost-of-living crisis in London, and what can be done about it, which used innovative mixed-methods research project to understand the impact of the increased cost of living.

How to get involved

If you’re an employer, you can sign up to become an accredited Living Wage Employer through the Living Wage Foundation.

If you’re a resident, you can start a conversation with your employer about being paid the London Living Wage. For more information, visit the Living Wage Foundation’s website at livingwage.org.uk.

Southwark’s Living Wage Place Action Group meets every three months and conducts activity to raise awareness of the London Living Wage and encourage employers in the borough to accredit. To get involved, please email: SouthwarkBusinessDesk@southwark.gov.uk.