Imagine trying to survive in New York City on less than $15,000 a year. That is what a person making the minimum wage of $7.25 an hour earns for a full-time job. It’s time to do something about that.

At legislative hearings across the state in recent days, New Yorkers have talked about how they struggle to survive on the minimum pay. A woman said she routinely waits until after 5 p.m. to buy end-of-day bread for her family. A health care worker has to borrow money for her own doctor’s co-payment. A waiter survives on his restaurant’s leftovers. A woman juggles two full-time minimum wage jobs for a 70-hour workweek.

State legislators should approve a bill by the Assembly speaker, Sheldon Silver, that would raise the minimum wage in the state to at least $8.50 per hour in 2013 with annual inflation adjustments after that. The increase would raise the income of more than 880,000 workers, who would put virtually all the money right back into the economy.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo has said he approves of an increase in the minimum wage — in principle. Backing Mr. Silver’s bill would show that he means it.