Dear Alistair

National Living Wage (Extension to Young People) Bill

I am writing to you concerning the above Private Members Bill which has been sponsored by Holly Lynch MP. The Bill proposes the removal of the National Minimum Wage banding for young workers and applying the National Living Wage (NLW) to young people aged 18 to 24. Currently the NLW is only available to those aged 25 and above.

Currently an 18-year-old will be paid an hourly rate of £5.90, while a 25-year-old will be paid an hourly rate of £7.83.

Analysis by the House of Commons library shows that a 25-year-old worker working 37.5 hours a week will earn £3,774 more than an 18-year-old undertaking the same hours – and the same work. This is a 33% difference.

I’m sure you will agree that the current banding is grossly unfair and that work colleagues doing the same job should be paid at the same rate, whatever their age. We wouldn’t accept different rates of pay on the basis of gender or other protected characteristics, and we shouldn’t accept it on the basis of age. Many young people are struggling with the same living costs as older colleagues.

The second reading of the bill is due to take place on 23rd November and I am writing to you to ask you to vote in favour of the bill. If you are not prepared to support the bill I would be grateful if you could set out the reasons why.

Yours sincerely

Julian Vaughan

Chair, NE Beds Constituency Labour Party