CARERS and NHS workers will miss out from a 10 per cent rise in the Real Living Wage (RLW), unions warned today, as they called for a boost to the statutory minimum.

The RLW — voluntary for employees to offer — is set by the Living Wage Foundation, who have said it will rise by £1.10 to £12 an hour outside London and by £1.20 to £13.15 an hour in the capital.

The foundation said the rise, which came into effect today, reflects “persistently high costs” for low-paid workers.

Living Wage Foundation director Katherine Chapman said: “These new rates are a lifeline for the 460,000 workers who will get a pay rise.”

But Unison general secretary Christina McAnea said: “This is good news for hundreds of thousands of low-paid workers whose employers do the right thing [by observing the rate].

“But many more providing essential public services will miss out. These employees include care workers, who’re often on poverty pay, in a sector already struggling to fill record vacancies.

“Today’s increase means thousands of workers employed by the NHS on the lowest pay bands — such as porters, cleaners, domestics and security staff — will be significantly short of the new rate.

“The government must follow suit and boost the minimum wage so millions are better able to weather the cost-of-living pressures causing such deep financial pain,” she said.

Shop workers’ union Usdaw general secretary Paddy Lillis said: “The new real living wage rates, which are based on an individual’s cost of living, are welcome and clearly show that the government’s so-called ‘National Living Wage’ is nothing of the sort.

“We are particularly pleased that the £12 goal that Usdaw has been campaigning for has now been reached by the Living Wage Foundation.”