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Department for Work is government's worst at providing living wage Department for Work is government's worst at providing living wage
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The Whitehall department that provides taxpayer top-ups for low pay is the government's worst offender when it comes to providing a living wage, it has emerged.The Whitehall department that provides taxpayer top-ups for low pay is the government's worst offender when it comes to providing a living wage, it has emerged.
Figures obtained by the Labour MP Frank Field through parliamentary questions show that Ian Duncan Smith's Department for Work and Pensions accounted for more than half the directly employed or contracted government workers earning less than £7.65 an hour. Figures obtained by the Labour MP Frank Field through parliamentary questions show that Iain Duncan Smith's Department for Work and Pensions accounted for more than half the directly employed or contracted government workers earning less than £7.65 an hour.
Field said he would be urging Duncan Smith to act after learning that of the 7,500 government workers earning less than the living wage, almost 5,000 were employed by the DWP – 286 directly and 4,500 through external contractors. Field said he would be urging Duncan Smith to act after learning that of the 7,500 government workers earning less than the living wage, almost 5,000 were employed by the DWP – 286 directly and 4,500 through external contractors. The DWP was the first government department to commit itself to paying a living wage, a voluntary scheme under which employers pledge to supplement the legally-binding national minimum wage.
The DWP was the first government department to commit itself to paying a Living Wage, a voluntary scheme under which employers pledge to supplement the legally-binding national minimum wage. The living wage is currently set at £8.80 an hour in London and £7.65 for all other parts of the UK. The living wage is currently set at £8.80 an hour in London and £7.65 elsewhere.
"The government talks about reforms that "make work pay", yet it continues to pay poverty wages to thousands of its own workers", Field said, adding that it was a cause for concern that some Whitehall departments, including the Treasury and the Home Office, did not know whether contracted staff were getting the Living Wage. "The government talks about reforms that 'make work pay', yet it continues to pay poverty wages to thousands of its own workers," Field said, adding that it was a cause for concern that some Whitehall departments, including the Treasury and the Home Office, did not know whether contracted staff were getting the living wage.
"Some of its biggest departments have no idea how much their cleaners, security or canteen staff are paid. So these figures are just the tip of the government's low pay iceberg. This needs to end. The government should lead by example by rolling out a Living Wage to all staff working in, or for, its own departments. If companies want contracts to deliver services in these departments, they too should be obliged to pay workers performing these tasks at least enough to live on." "Some of its biggest departments have no idea how much their cleaners, security or canteen staff are paid. So these figures are just the tip of the government's low pay iceberg. This needs to end. The government should lead by example by rolling out a living wage to all staff working in, or for, its own departments. If companies want contracts to deliver services in these departments, they too should be obliged to pay workers performing these tasks at least enough to live on."
A DWP spokeswoman said that the 286 directly employed DWP staff were only being paid one penny less than £7.65 an hour and that this was the result of the annual uprating in the Living Wage last November coming ahead of the department's annual pay round in July. She said the DWP did not have any control over contractors' pay. A DWP spokeswoman said that the 286 directly employed DWP staff were only being paid one penny less than £7.65 an hour and that this was the result of the annual uprating in the living wage last November coming ahead of the department's annual pay round in July. She said the DWP did not have any control over contractors' pay.
"This department has led the way on the living wage, with our suppliers agreeing two years ago to pay the London Living Wage to their DWP cleaners and caterers working in London", the spokeswoman said. "All employees directly paid by DWP receive at least the level of the Living Wage when pay levels are set each July." "This department has led the way on the living wage, with our suppliers agreeing two years ago to pay the London living wage to their DWP cleaners and caterers working in London," the spokeswoman said. "All employees directly paid by DWP receive at least the level of the living wage when pay levels are set each July."
Figures provided to Field show that the Ministry of Defence had 1090 directly employed staff paid below the living wage. It was followed by the Department for Transport (493), the Ministry of Justice (409) and the DWP. Figures provided to Field show that the Ministry of Defence had 1,090 directly employed staff paid below the living wage. It was followed by the Department for Transport (493), the Ministry of Justice (409) and the DWP.
After the DWP, the departments with the most contracted staff earning below the living wage were the Department for Business Innovation and Skills (342) Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (200).After the DWP, the departments with the most contracted staff earning below the living wage were the Department for Business Innovation and Skills (342) Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (200).
The Department for Transport, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Defence, Crown Prosecution Service, Insolvency Service, Department of Health, HM Treasury, Home Office, Department for Culture, Media and Sport could provide no information on the wages of contracted staff.The Department for Transport, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Defence, Crown Prosecution Service, Insolvency Service, Department of Health, HM Treasury, Home Office, Department for Culture, Media and Sport could provide no information on the wages of contracted staff.
The Department for Communities and Local Government, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Department for International Development, Department for Energy and Climate Change, Wales Office had no workers, either directly employed or contracted, earning less than the Living Wage. The Department for Communities and Local Government, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Department for International Development, Department for Energy and Climate Change, Wales Office had no workers, either directly employed or contracted, earning less than the living wage.