On the week which saw the new Living Wage rate increased to £8.75 per hour, Angus Housing Association was formally accredited as a Living Wage employer.

To mark last week’s announcement, Living Wage Week has been promoting the benefits of paying the Living Wage to employers and employees throughout Scotland.

After receiving their accreditation plaque, Angus Housing Association’s corporate services officer, Nicola McFarlane, said: “We have actually been paying the living wage since 2011 but to have this recognition through the accreditation process is very important to us. As a social landlord, we know just how difficult it is for our tenants who are working for the minimum wage of £6.70 per hour or in some cases, less.

“Our tenants in this situation really struggle to pay for the basics of life including their rent. With benefits being cut, more and more rely on foodbanks. It would, therefore, be unacceptable for us to pay less than the Living Wage to an employee and we would encourage all responsible employers, and especially social landlords, to sign up to Living Wage accreditation. There is a long way to go as we are only one of nine employers in Angus which are accredited and the only social landlord in Angus or Dundee.

“We would, therefore encourage all other social landlords to move quickly towards accreditation and work towards ending low pay in the Scottish Economy.”