THE extent of the low pay crisis in England and Wales has been exposed in a survey by general union GMB.

And it revealed Britain’s worst-hit areas where hundreds of thousands of workers are paid less than the living wage of £7.85 (£9.15 in London).

GMB is calling on local authorities to help persuade more employers to pay the living wage.

Local authorities with the highest proportion of jobs below living wage in 2014:

West Somerset 42.9% 

Harrow 41.1% 

Torridge 38.6% 

West Lancashire 38.3% 

Waltham Forest 38.2 % 

Breckland 38.0 % 

West Devon 37.3 %

North Norfolk 36.5 % 

NE Derbyshire 36.3 %  

Woking 35.9 %

At regional level the worst-affected areas for low wages include: 

East Midlands 24.7 % 

Yorks & Humber 24.3 % 

West Midlands 24.1 % 

Wales 23.9 % 

North West 23.6 % 

North East 23.4 % 

South West 22.6 % 

East of England 22.3 % 

London 18.3 % 

SE England 17.8%