Hundreds of thousands of UK workers will see a 10% pay rise because their employer is signed up to the voluntary Real Living Wage scheme.

The rise – from £10.90 to £12 an hour outside London – would be a “lifeline” for low-paid workers, the Living Wage Foundation said.

Employers can choose to pay the real living wage, a rate that is higher than the government-set minimum wage.

Employers who join the Real Living Wage scheme, set up by the Living Wage Foundation charity, make a commitment to pay their staff at a rate that reflects what the charity thinks people need to cover everyday costs.

After this rise it is £1.58 more than the government-set minimum wage, the National Living Wage of £10.42 an hour for those over the age of 23.

Workers in London will see their pay rise from £11.95 to £13.15 if their employer has joined the scheme.

A full-time worker earning the new Real Living Wage will earn £3,081 a year more than someone on the current government minimum, and an additional £5,323 in London, according to the foundation.

Around 14,000 employers have signed up, benefitting over 460,000 workers, the foundation said.

Inverclyde currently has 25 local businesses signed up to the Real Living Wage, with businesses having until May 2024 to implement the increases.

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