AYR MSP Siobhian Brown has welcomed the news that the real Living Wage has increased from £12 to £12.60 across the UK.

The real Living Wage, which is based on the cost of living, is different to the UK government's minimum wage, often referred to as the "National Living Wage". 

Employers choose to pay the real Living Wage on a voluntary basis, recognising the value of their workers and ensuring that a hard day’s work receives a fair day’s pay. 

A full-time worker earning the new real Living Wage will earn £2,262 more a year than a worker earning the current government minimum wage.

In Scotland, all organisations that receive grants from public bodies are legally required to pay the real Living Wage. 

Ms Brown said: “After sky-high increases in the cost of living over the past few years, this will be a welcome boost for workers here in Ayr, Prestwick and Troon, and across Scotland. 

“The Scottish Government has been a champion for the real Living Wage since 2015, when we became a real Living Wage accredited employer, and we’ve since made it a legal requirement for all organisations receiving grant funding from a public body to pay the real Living Wage. 

“This has made a real difference here in my constituency, and across Scotland, which has the highest proportion of workers being paid the real Living Wage or above anywhere in the UK."