ACTION is being taken to ensure that the lowest paid workers at Malvern Hills District Council are kept out of poverty.

Top politicians have agreed to boost the pay of staff on the lowest salary grades to ensure all employees are earning at least the national recognised Living Wage.

The figure of £7.45 an hour – roughly £14,300 a year – is set independently by the Centre for Research in Social Policy as the basic level research suggests people need to earn to live free of poverty.

The decision, taken unanimously by executive committee members on Tuesday, will affect only workers in the council’s grade one pay band, who currently earn up to £13,874 a year.

The council estimates it will cost £2,300 to bolster the salaries of its seven employees who fall into this category up to the living wage through an “honorarium” payment.

Liberal Democrat leader Tom Wells hailed the decision and said it painted the council as an “exemplar employer”.

“The amount of money is negligible but the statement we are making is incredibly important,” he said. “I am sure that the members of staff and the trade unions will be equally pleased.”

The council plans to introduce the salary boost at the same time as it implements an annual pay rise of one per cent for employees across the board. However, the boost up to the living wage is only guaranteed for one year – with any move to do the same in future years subject to an annual review.

Deputy leader Coun Paul Swinburn said the widely held view is that the living wage will rise “at a considerably greater rate” than standard wage bands – and that a long-term commitment could jeapordise council pay structures and cost a significant amount of money.

Malvern Hills’ decision follows a recent attempt to introduce the living wage for staff at Worcestershire County Council.

However, that would have affected more than 170 workers and cost the council almost £1 million a year, and was thrown out by councillors as unaffordable.