Hoot Credit Union has been accredited as a Living Wage Employer.

Its Living Wage commitment will see everyone working at Hoot ­— which has a branch in Bolton ­— receive a minimum hourly wage of £12, higher than the government minimum for over 21s, which currently stands at £11.44 per hour.

Hoot is based in the North West, where 13.5 per cent of all jobs pay less than the real Living Wage - around 397,000 jobs.

Despite this, Hoot has committed to pay the real Living Wage and deliver a fair day’s pay for a hard day’s work.

The real Living Wage is the only rate calculated according to the costs of living. It provides a voluntary benchmark for employers that wish to ensure their staff earn a wage they can live on, not just the government minimum. Since 2011 the Living Wage movement has delivered a pay rise to over 460,000 people and put £3 billion extra into the pockets of low paid workers.

Chris Canham, Chief Executive of Hoot said “We are very proud to be accredited as a Living Wage Employer. Our employees are at the very centre of our mission to improve the financial well-being of the community, so it is vital that we take care of their financial well-being too”

Katherine Chapman, Director, Living Wage Foundation said: “We’re delighted that Hoot Credit Union has joined the movement of over 14,000 responsible employers across the UK who voluntarily commit to go further than the government minimum to make sure all their staff earn enough to live on.

“They join thousands of small businesses, as well as household names such as Burberry, Barclays, Everton Football Club and many more. These businesses recognise that paying the real Living Wage is the mark of a responsible employer and they, like Hoot, believe that a hard day’s work deserves a fair day’s pay."