HALF a million workers employed by more than 15,000 companies paying the real living wage will get a pay boost from today.
The rate will rise by 60p to £12.60 an hour across the UK and by 70p to £13.85 in London for workers.
Unlike the government-set minimum wage, the real living wage is the only UK pay rate based on the cost of living.
It is voluntary meaning, employers can opt to pay their staff this amount but are not legally required to do so.
As of today, a full-time worker earning the new real living wage will earn £2,262 a year more than a worker earning the current government minimum, according to the Living Wage Foundation.
Employers who are signed up have until the deadline of May 1 to pay the increased rates but are encouraged to pay it as soon as possible.
Katherine Chapman, director of the foundation said low-paid workers have been “hardest hit by the cost-of-living crisis”.
She said: “The real living wage remains the only UK wage rate calculated based on actual living costs, and the new rates announced today will make a massive difference to almost half a million workers who will see their pay increase.”
The real living wage was introduced in April 2016, and since then thousands of employers have opted in.
Recent joiners include Pieminister, Fred Perry and the National Theatre.
They join half of the FTSE 100 companies and household names like Aviva, Everton FC, Ikea, Burberry and LUSH.
Darren Taylor, country people and culture manager at furniture retailer Ikea, said: “A business’s success is purely driven by its people, and as a values-driven company we care about our co-workers and their wellbeing. “
“That’s why we’re committed to pay our co-workers a Real Living Wage that creates a fairer, inclusive and healthier standard of living for the many.”
You can find out which companies are signed up to pay the Real Living Wage on the foundation’s website, www.livingwage.org.uk/.
The rates are separate from the government’s national living wage, which sets the minimum hourly rate at £11.44 an hour for workers over the age of 21.
The national minimum wage is also set by the government and it is the minimum pay per hour for workers under the age between 18-20.
The national living wage set out by the government usually rises every year to keep in line with increasing prices.
In April this year, the rate increased 10% from £10.42, and has generally risen by more than inflation in recent years.
In September, the Low Pay Commission (LPC), which advises the government on the minimum wage, announced plans to raise the statutory rate to £12.10 per hour.
The government usually confirms how much the National Living Wage will rise when it delivers its Autumn Statement, which will take place next week on October 30.
However, the national minimum wage for children under 18 will not be raised to the same level as that planned for adults.
This means kids aged 16 and 17 still have a slightly lower hourly minimum wage requirement.
Currently, those under 18 are legally required to get £6.40.
Apprentices are paid the same rate, too.
TO qualify for the National Minimum Wage, you have to be of school-leaving age, which is usually above 16.
You are eligible to receive the pay rate if you work full-time, part-time or as a casual labourer.
You are also entitled to the National Minimum Wage if you are an agency worker.
Apprentices also qualify for a National Minimum Wage, as well as trainees and staff still in their probationary period.
The rates also apply to disabled workers.
Those who are self-employed, voluntary workers, company directors, and family members who live in the home of the employer and do household chores do not qualify for the minimum wage.
Au pairs, members of the armed forces, and people on a government employment programme are also not entitled to the payment.
OUR much-loved astrologer Meg sadly died last year but her column will be kept alive by her friend and protégée Maggie Innes.
Read on to see what’s written in the stars for you today.
ARIES
March 21 to April 20
As Mars and the moon match up there could be sudden flashes of intense feelings.
These may come as a surprise, but can be telling you something deep, and important.
All you need to do is listen. Uranus brings a surprising fresh, inventive take on some long-running cash issues.
Get all the latest Aries horoscope news including your weekly and monthly predictions
TAURUS
April 21 to May 21
Believing you deserve your place in a team is your chart breakthrough as this frees you to be 100 per cent yourself instead of feeling you have to pretend.
You have a bold communication chart that may lead to speaking before you think, but this can be what breaks a stalemate and brings a solution closer.
GEMINI
When you do your utmost to keep emotions out of money talks, you can keep them going longer, with better results.
So however tough it is, stay businesslike. You may feel you’ve trodden the same romance path too many times, but this time there can be a twist that leads to a new love direction.
CANCER
June 22 to July 22
There’s a deep part of you that’s waiting to be set free.
This can be a set of skills, or some special feelings and can open a door that was closed a long time ago.
Mars fire in your water sign creates a steamy set of circumstances, so be prepared for sudden attraction that feels forbidden but is hard to resist.
Get all the latest Cancer horoscope news including your weekly and monthly predictions
LEO
July 23 to August 23
Hearing a celebrity talking or reading about a star’s achievement can trigger ambition in you – try to go with this, as far as you can.
That sense of something missing in your life can be solved almost overnight.
As for love, keeping the fun element upfront leaves space for serious feelings to form.
Get all the latest Leo horoscope news including your weekly and monthly predictions
VIRGO
August 24 to September 22
You’re the best of friends to have – loyal and loving – but your chart warns you to you leave time and energy for your own needs, too.
One situation may be asking too much of you so seek help to slow things down, if you can.
Passion focuses on the future, but still makes time to heal the past.
Get all the latest Virgo horoscope news including your weekly and monthly predictions
LIBRA
September 23 to October 23
When you decide to be “good with money” it can happen as long as you are confident.
Listen to the voices in your head that believe in your ability. Love-wise, a message from three days, weeks or months ago, can be significant.
The luck factor draws you to multi-coloured wheels.
Get all the latest Libra horoscope news including your weekly and monthly predictions
The traditional dates used by Mystic Meg for each sign are below.
SCORPIO
October 24 to November 22
You are impulsive by zodiac nature and some restraints can come off that have held you in check.
Instead of immediately reacting, take some time to reflect. Make sure everything that’s said is truly meant.
Harmony of Venus can keep cash books balanced, if you resist sudden spending.
Get all the latest Scorpio horoscope news including your weekly and monthly predictions
SAGITTARIUS
November 23 to December 21
The same, old work method isn’t exciting enough for rebel planet Uranus and a sparkling new opportunity can appear on your career horizon.
You may not realise straight away, so note anything that intrigues you.
Passion is personal and pure but remember honesty matters more than perfection.
Get all the latest Sagittarius horoscope news including your weekly and monthly predictions
CAPRICORN
December 22 to January 20
Secrets could lead to lies in passion and this is not the right path for you.
What feels like power could change into weakness so take charge and change the emotional dynamic.
Your next work step could appear out of the blue, but when you see it, you will know.
An “S” pal would love to hear from you.
Get all the latest Capricorn horoscope news including your weekly and monthly predictions
AQUARIUS
January 21 to February 18
The way you share your vision for how you live is the key to getting changes made.
Talk about plans a little at a time, rather than all at once to keep more cautious people on board.
A couple who celebrated a special anniversary can be a luck-finder for you, and so can any competition in three rounds.
Get all the latest Aquarius horoscope news including your weekly and monthly predictions
PISCES
February 19 to March 20
The moon seeks to expand horizons, while Mercury brings you down to earth but this mixture can be a ticket to travel.
You find smart ways to get journey costs down and distances up, and select the perfect companions for adventure.
Venus wants only the best love for you, so don’t settle for less.
Get all the latest Pisces horoscope news including your weekly and monthly predictions
A NEW vaccine that could stop people developing the vomiting bug norovirus is being trialled in the UK – in the hope it could help cut the “burden on the NHS”.
The mRNA vaccine from Moderna will enter final stages of testing within the next two weeks, the Health Secretary has announced, with results so far showing it creates a “strong immune response”.
The ‘winter vomiting bug’, as it’s known, is linked to around 12,000 hospital admissions in the UK every year.
The jab uses mRNA technology – the same used in Covid jabs – to tell the immune system to recognise a “foreign” protein on viruses and mount an attack.
In this case, it targets three strains of norovirus.
Dr Patrick Moore, chief investigator of the study and National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) director in the South West, said there were currently “no approved vaccines for norovirus anywhere in the world” and the only treatment available for people with serious illness in hospital is intravenous fluids.
He added: “Norovirus is what we know as the winter vomiting bug, and it’s highly transmissible.
“It causes vomiting and diarrhoea, usually for two to three days. It can affect people of all ages, and it usually peaks in the winter months in the UK…but we do see norovirus throughout the whole of the year.
“About one in five cases of gastroenteritis are caused by norovirus – that’s about four million cases annually in the UK and about 685 million globally.”
A total of 27 NHS hospitals and centres in England, Scotland and Wales are taking part in the trial, with some running mobile clinics to visit care homes and other community sites.
It’s hoped 2,500 people in the UK will sign up for the trial before the end of December.
Half will receive the vaccine while the other half will be given a dummy drug.
The trial will last around 25 months, and experts hope the results will show 65 percent or higher efficacy for the jab.
Moderna will also analyse whether the vaccine should be used as a seasonal jab like the flu vaccine, or whether it could offer lifelong immunity.
The firm hopes to file marketing applications in 2026 to have the vaccine approved by health regulators.
Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said: “Norovirus is highly infectious and puts the NHS under huge strain every winter, costing taxpayers around £100 million a year.
“The UK is leading the way to develop a world-first vaccine for this vomiting bug, starting with this innovative vaccine trial delivered through the Government-funded National Institute for Health and Care Research.
“Not only is this a huge vote of confidence in the UK’s life sciences sector, but a successful vaccine will help shift our health system away from sickness and towards prevention – reducing pressure on the NHS and keeping people well during the colder months.”
Researchers leading the trial said it would include adults of all ages, though people aged 60 and over are being encouraged to join as they can be badly affected by norovirus.
If the vaccine works in adults, the trial is then likely to be extended to children.
The US, Canada and Japan are also taking part in the study, with a possible extension to Australia. Overall, around 25,000 people are expected to be recruited globally.
Dr Melanie Ivarsson, chief development officer at Moderna, said: “We are delighted to bring this trial to the UK – by advancing our investigational mRNA norovirus vaccine into a pivotal phase 3 trial, we are one step closer to potentially providing a new tool to prevent infection from this highly contagious virus, which places a significant burden on health systems globally.”
Dr Moore said older adults and immunocompromised patients are usually at higher risk of severe complications and death from norovirus, with about 80 deaths per year in the UK and about 200,000 deaths globally, of which 50,000 are children.
Around two-thirds of outbreaks are in care homes but places such as hospitals, nurseries and schools are also at risk.
This novel vaccine could make a difference to the lives of many – especially our most vulnerable citizens.
Professor Lucy Chappell
Professions that can be badly affected include health and care workers, childcare staff, military personnel, cruise ship employees, flight attendants and food handlers.
The new trial is part of the Government’s 10-year strategic partnership with Moderna, which is seeing the firm build a new mRNA research, development and manufacturing facility and investing in UK clinical trials.
Professor Lucy Chappell, NIHR chief executive and chief scientific adviser to the Department of Health and Social Care, said: “This novel vaccine could make a difference to the lives of many – especially our most vulnerable citizens – and reduce the burden of seasonal illness on the NHS.
“Leveraging the UK’s expertise in vaccine development, the DHSC through the NIHR and Moderna are delivering this large-scale trial at pace, so that people across the UK and the world can benefit sooner.”
Norovirus symptoms
Norovirus is a stomach bug that causes vomiting and diarrhoea. The main symptoms it causes are:
A person with norovirus may also have:
Symptoms usually start within one or two days of being infected, and last about two days.
How to treat norovirus yourself
Rest and plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration is the best way to treat norovirus.
A person will usually start to feel better in two to three days.
When to call NHS 111
Get advice from NHS 111 if:
When to call 999 or go to A&E
Call 999 or go to A&E if you or child:
Source: NHS
B&M shoppers are rushing to do their Christmas shopping with toys scanning between 10p and £1.
Two savvy savers recently spotted the cheap toys in their local branches and finished festive shopping for the children in their family.
The shoppers posted their find on the Extreme Couponing and Bargains UK Facebook group after snapping up various toys for pennies.
One of the members who posted about their finds shared pictures of the toys they purchased and said that their daughter’s Christmas shopping was “finished thanks to this”.
Another member gushed over the find, saying they “never get any of the bargains but today [they] did!”
They also added that items were apparently reduced due to having old barcodes on.
Plenty of fellow bargain hunters have liked and commented on the posts keen to find toys in their local branch.
One user said: “Wow! Well done on being in the right place!”
Another commented: “Brilliant well done on your bargains.”
And: “That is amazing!”
A B&M employee even confirmed the discounts in the comment section.
They said: “These are all old stock so it’s not going to be every store. I work for B&M.”
Any B&M shoppers looking to snap up the £1 and under toys won’t be able to find it online.
It’s not guaranteed you’ll find it in your local branch either, so it might be worth calling your local branch ahead to avoid a wasted trip.
In any case, you should always shop around before buying something like this as you might find the same, or similar, item for less at another retailer.
You can use online price comparison sites like Price Spy and Trolley to see if a product you have found is the cheapest against others.
You can also use the Google Shopping/Product tab to do a quick scan of the internet.
However, we had a quick look online to see if any other retailers are selling some of these toys for under £1 and there weren’t any.
If you’re looking to pick up a bargain on your next B&M shop, you should get the retailer’s scanner app.
It’s free to download on to your smartphone via the Apple App Store or Google Play.
Once downloaded, you can use the camera on your phone to scan barcodes in-store.
It then tells you if a product has been reduced in price, even before a member of staff has changed the label.
The app also offers you a description of the product you are scanning.
It’s quite common for shoppers to find under £1 bargains in their local B&M stores.
One customer recently found a stainless steel egg slotter for just 10p instead of £2.99.
Another shopper found pet toys slashed to 10p in their local branch this summer.
Remember, you can find your nearest B&M branch by using the retailer’s store locator tool on its website.
One ex-B&M manager said the best time to visit your local store is first thing on a Wednesday.
This is when staff slash items to as little as 10p to clear excess stock and make way for new lines.
Deals expert Tom Church urged shoppers to keep an eye out for red stickers products as well.
These are put on special buy products that have also been reduced in price.
It’s worth signing up to Facebook pages dedicated to hunting for bargains from B&M and other discounters too.
Some of the best ones to join are B&M Bargains, Extreme Money Saving Deals and More and Extreme Couponing and Bargains UK group.
SUN Savers Editor Lana Clements explains how to find a cut-price item and bag a bargain…
Sign up to loyalty schemes of the brands that you regularly shop with.
Big names regularly offer discounts or special lower prices for members, among other perks.
Sales are when you can pick up a real steal.
Retailers usually have periodic promotions that tie into payday at the end of the month or Bank Holiday weekends, so keep a lookout and shop when these deals are on.
Sign up to mailing lists and you’ll also be first to know of special offers. It can be worth following retailers on social media too.
When buying online, always do a search for money off codes or vouchers that you can use vouchercodes.co.uk and myvouchercodes.co.uk are just two sites that round up promotions by retailer.
Scanner apps are useful to have on your phone. Trolley.co.uk app has a scanner that you can use to compare prices on branded items when out shopping.
Bargain hunters can also use B&M’s scanner in the app to find discounts in-store before staff have marked them out.
And always check if you can get cashback before paying which in effect means you’ll get some of your money back or a discount on the item.
BIG Brother stars were pushed to breaking point and one threatened a hunger strike after being forced to eat only porridge all day.
Big Brother punished the housemates by banning other food after three broke the rules by discussing nominations.
Drama erupted as contestants were pushed to their limits, as plain porridge made with water, once served to orphans in Victorian slums, became their only meal option.
One housemate declared they would refuse to eat if things didn’t change.
The show has a history of using food rations to stir the pot, but it seems the porridge diet may have been too much for some to handle.
After a day on gruel, Dean was the first to break, and he slammed his bowl down saying, “this is disgusting”.
A ‘hangry’ Dean stomped into the living room and when Ali asked if he was “OK”, he snapped: “No I’m f*****g not OK”.
Referring to the huge divide in the house, after the latest round of nominations, he added: “Everyone is childish and I just told Big Brother I don’t want to be here anymore.”
Dean later took himself off to a corner for a cry.
Next up, Hanah threatened to go on a hunger strike in the Diary Room.
She said: “Big Brother I can’t do porridge. Plain porridge. That’s famine.”
When Big Brother refused her some honey to sweeten it, she said: “I’m just letting this be known. I will end up starving myself. I will starve myself.”
Marcello plotted to eat chicken by sneaking one in the oven, but didn’t tell the other housemates.
His plan was exposed when Dean and Sarah smelled the roasting chicken and she walked around screaming: “There’s a chicken in the oven!”
Lily opened the oven and took it out, much to Marcello’s fury.
He then kicked off at Sarah for ruining his plans.
The rule breaks happened after housemates were nominated in pairs but Ali and Dean were immune as Heads of House.
Sides began to form as Khaled and Marcello were put up for eviction despite not receiving any nominations.
Ali was the first to break the rules by telling everyone she hadn’t originally voted for Khaled, even though they had fallen out.
Next up, Hanah spoke about Marcello, and said: “The fact they used me as a pawn, to put you two up … she (Ali) is a charlatan …
“If you and Marcello stay in and everything, I need next HoH to be this group.”
Segun hammered the final nail into the coffin as he agreed with Hanah.
He said: “Yeah I think Marcello said it as well, he was like if I stay in, she [Ali] goes next week.
“I hear it. I can’t lie, we need to get rid of this wolf man. The red witch is coming”.
Big Brother played the conversation over the speakers in front of the irritated housemates.
Ali was seen laughing off the remarks, but Big Brother continued: “Housemates… when will you learn?”
A brand new batch of Big Brother housemates are living it up in the famous compound.
Meet the cast of the 2024 series: