Korelate Solutions Becomes a Living Wage Accredited Employer
Earlier this year, Korelate Solutions led the SSG Partnerships process to gain accreditation to the Living Wage Foundation – an important milestone that reflects our commitment to fairness, respect and creating a workplace where people can thrive.
It was important for us – as both an organisation and a representative of a Network of around 100 specialist Recruitment firms, to ensure that we showed our commitment to fair wage practices. For us, being a responsible employer means more than simply meeting the legal requirements around pay. It means recognising the people behind our organisation and understanding the difference that fair pay can make to their everyday lives.
What is the Living Wage?
The real Living Wage is a voluntary wage rate calculated by the Living Wage Foundation based on the actual cost of living. Unlike the statutory National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage, it is designed to reflect what people need to earn to afford everyday essentials.
For the 2025–26 rate, the real Living Wage is £13.45 per hour across the UK and £14.80 per hour in London. The rates are independently calculated and reviewed annually to reflect changing living costs.
It is important to make the distinction between the real Living Wage and the National Living Wage. The National Living Wage is the legal minimum employers must pay eligible workers. The real Living Wage is a voluntary commitment by employers to pay a rate that is based on the cost of living. In the UK, around 16,000 organisations have become accredited, and this figure is growing on a weekly basis.
Why does the Living Wage matter?
The cost of everyday life continues to have a significant impact on working people. Rent or mortgage payments, food, energy bills, transport and other essential costs can quickly add up. For someone on a lower income, even an unexpected expense can create significant financial pressure.
Living Wage Foundation research highlights just how serious the consequences of low pay can be. In 2025, 12% of low-paid workers reported having no money left each week or falling further into debt after paying for essentials, while 59% said they had skipped meals, turned off heating, fallen behind on bills or taken out a payday loan to cover essentials.
This demonstrates that pay isn’t simply a figure on a payslip. It can affect whether someone is able to meet their basic needs, manage unexpected costs and enjoy a reasonable quality of life.
The difference fair pay can make
Being paid a wage that reflects the cost of living can provide people with greater financial security and peace of mind.
It can mean having enough money left at the end of the month to deal with an unexpected bill. It can reduce the difficult choices people sometimes have to make between heating their home, buying food or paying other essential expenses.
There can also be wider benefits. Research from the Living Wage Foundation has found that people paid the Living Wage are more likely to report positive experiences of their work, including better job satisfaction and perceptions of their physical and mental wellbeing.
For employers, fair pay can also contribute to attracting and retaining talented people, building a positive workplace culture and demonstrating that employees are genuinely valued. The Living Wage Foundation reports that 94% of accredited Living Wage employers say their business has benefited from accreditation.
Why is accreditation important to Korelate Solutions?
Achieving Living Wage accreditation is an important part of our commitment to being a responsible and people-focused organisation.
Accreditation isn’t simply about saying that we support fair pay. It represents a commitment to paying the independently calculated real Living Wage to eligible directly employed staff and having a plan to extend that commitment to regular subcontracted staff.
For Korelate Solutions, this is about putting our values into action.
We believe that people should be able to work hard and feel that their work provides them with a fair opportunity to live with dignity and financial security. Paying the Living Wage is one practical way we can help make that possible.
A commitment that goes beyond the payslip
A positive workplace is about more than salary alone. However, fair pay provides an important foundation.
When people feel financially secure, valued and respected, they are better placed to focus on their work, their families and their futures. Creating that environment is something we take seriously at Korelate Solutions.
The Living Wage movement has already made a significant difference across the UK. More than 16,000 employers are accredited Living Wage employers, and more than 490,000 workers have received a pay rise as a result of the campaign.
We are delighted that Korelate Solutions is now part of that movement.
Looking to the future
Our Living Wage accreditation is something we are proud of, but we also see it as part of an ongoing commitment.
We want to continue building a workplace where people are treated fairly, recognised for the contribution they make and given the opportunity to succeed.
Fair pay matters. It matters to individuals, families, communities and businesses.
At Korelate Solutions, we are proud to play our part in making work pay and helping create a working environment where people can feel valued, supported and secure.
We actively encourage conversation around this topic and for all organisations to consider their wage practices. Links below to the Living Wage Foundation website and their FAQ page.
Together we can achieve great things and ensure a good standard of living across the UK employee base.
We’re proud to be a Living Wage accredited employer.