Living Wage Foundation finds 17% of capital’s night workers are paid less than £13.85 per hour, reports Noah Vickers, Local Democracy Reporter

Londoners who work at night are 40% more unlikely to earn a ‘real living wage’ than those who don’t, a new report has warned.

Research published by the Living Wage Foundation (LWF) this week found that 17% of the capital’s night workers are paid less than £13.85 per hour, compared with 12% of those who don’t work at night.

Each year, the LWF sets a new real living wage rate, with one for London and one for the rest of the country – due to the capital’s higher cost of living.

It argues that it is the “only UK wage rate based on the cost of living” and it is voluntarily paid by over 15,000 UK businesses, “who believe their staff deserve a wage which meets everyday needs”.

The LWF’s report also found that while there are some workers who choose the flexibility of night-time work, almost half (49%) of those working at night in London admitted to having little control over when they do or do not work at night.

“Nearly 1.4 million people usually work in the evening or at night in London – one in four workers,” the report states. “That means that one in every seven people across the UK who work at night do so in the capital.”

According to the LWF’s research, drawn from polling data by Savanta, those who work at night are twice as likely to have an “insecure” job.

Night-working in London was also found to negatively affect physical and mental health. Some 31% reported that working at night negatively impacts their physical health, with 28% experiencing negative impacts on their mental health. Some 44% also reported a negative impact on their quality of sleep.

In London, the LWF’s real living wage was recently increased to £13.85 per hour, and outside the capital to £12.60.

By law, across the UK and including in London, employers must only pay what is called the ‘national living wage’ to those aged 21 and older, currently set at £11.44 per hour. Those aged between 18 and 20 are only entitled to what is still called the ‘minimum wage’ of £8.60 per hour across the country.

However, the government has said that, over time, it wants to close the minimum earnings gap between those aged 18-20 and those above 21.

In Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ recent budget, it was announced that the rate for 18-20-year-olds will be increased to £10 per hour, which will take effect from April 2025. The National Living Wage, for those aged 21 and over, will rise to £12.21.

Approached for comment on the LWF’s new report, a spokesman at the Department for Business and Trade said: “A majority of London workers already receive at least the National Living Wage, but we know this covers fewer younger workers who are more likely to work in night-time jobs.

“That’s why we are removing discriminatory minimum wage age bands, with the largest increase for 18–20-year-olds on record announced in the budget.”

Peter Brierley, assistant director at the LWF’s parent body, Citizens UK, said: “London’s night-time workers deserve to live with dignity and are essential to the city’s economy, yet their struggles are often overlooked.

“Our findings reveal the toll night work takes on their lives, which is sadly compounded by low pay and unstable hours. We know it doesn’t have to be this way.

“So many London employers have stepped up to do the right thing and become living wage and living hours accredited, but we still have a way to go. Night workers, like all workers, deserve a real living wage and secure hours, including proper notice of shifts.”

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