Citizens Advice becomes Living Wage employer

Tuesday 31 January 2023

A charity which has provided independent and impartial advice to islanders for the past 45 years has become the latest Jersey employer to receive accreditation for paying its team the Living Wage.

International charity Caritas promotes the adoption of the ‘Living Wage’ – a figure currently set at £12.19 per hour – which considers the cost of living, taxes and the value of benefits available to working people on low incomes.

The Living Wage was previously set at £11.27 in 2022, but has this year risen by nearly £1 to take into account the sharp inflation islanders have recently experienced. 

The minimum wage, meanwhile, is currently £10.50 per hour.

On becoming the latest accredited adopter of the Living Wage, Citizens Advice Chief Executive Claire Mulcahy said: "Gaining accreditation and being recognised as a living wage employer, without question naturally makes sense for our charity.

"We want to commit to our employees that we are dedicated in believing that pay should reflect living costs, staff should be able to enjoy life rather than simply survive and that we promote wellbeing including from our very core values.

"We are also proud in raising awareness of our ethics as an employer as well as the tireless committed charitable work we do for our islanders."

Caritas Chief Executive Patrick Lynch said Citizens Advice was the first organisation in 2023 to be accredited.

"It is especially pleasing to accredit a partner organisation which does very similar work to Caritas and sees, at first-hand, the struggles of so many on low wages in our island.

"At a time when inflation has gone even higher, a living wage is now more important than ever."