3 days Ago
All of that changed in 1997, when the Labour Government legislated to introduce the National Minimum Wage. Since then, society has not looked back. The political argument has been won, there is a broad consensus that all work must be paid fairly and there should be a salary floor that nobody falls below.
The debate today is how high we raise that floor and who stands to benefit. The cost-of-living crisis has hit hardest for those on lower incomes, with people more exposed to inflation on essential items, like food, clothes and energy. As a result, I believe that increasing the minimum wage this month by 6.
7 per cent was exactly the right decision and one I was proud to support in the House of Commons. The new rate is £12.21 per hour for everyone aged 21 and over.
The increase will benefit three million people across the country and at least 3,500 in Welwyn Hatfield. This is a particular boost to younger people, who are more likely to be lower earners at the start of their career. In parallel, we have taken action to support pensioners.
From April 6, every pensioner in the country saw the value of their state pension rise by 4.1per cent. The individual value of the uplift varies a little depending on individual circumstances, but all 17,692 local pensioners have received an increase that runs above inflation – which now stands at 2.
8 per cent. The drive to increase the uptake in Pension Credit is seeing results as well. Across the country, nearly 50,000 extra pensioners are receiving Pension Credit following the campaign to boost uptake.
I am acutely aware that there are still a lot of pressures on the incomes of many local people. The boost to pay and pensions are positive decisions that will make a tangible difference to monthly incomes, but there is much more work to do, to grow the economy at home and in our trading relationships overseas. In a fortnight, I’ll write more in this column on Trump’s tariffs, the response of our government and my views on the best strategy for driving growth in a volatile world.
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