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Everton FC is set to offer a pay rise to all its lowest-paid staff.

The club last year confirmed that it would become one of the first Premier League clubs to pay at least the Living Wage to its directly employed workers.

Now it says it will extend that commitment to all contracted staff who work at the club.

The Living Wage is the amount experts say people need to receive to get a basic standard of living.

It is currently £8.25 an hour in the UK, but £9.40 an hour in London. The Government’s National Living Wage rate – the minimum firms need to pay their staff – stands at £7.20 per hour for over-25s.

Birkenhead MP Frank Field , who had written to Everton FC to ask about its plans for contract staff, said: “Everton have matched their good start to the new season on the field with some equally impressive work off the field.

“This move towards guaranteeing all staff a decent wage will set a high bar for other clubs to follow, and I have asked the Premier League chief executive to include this item on the agenda for his next meeting with each club.”

(Image: James Maloney)

Dr Denise Barrett-Baxendale, deputy chief executive and director at Everton FC said: “We were pleased to be able to respond positively to Mr Field’s contact regarding the Living Wage and have since shared with him some of the good work we have already undertaken in this area.

“Becoming a Living Wage Employer is something we have been publicly committed to for some time, and we’ve been working hard behind the scenes as part of our ongoing staff engagement strategy in preparation for our accreditation submission this month.

“It’s extremely important to us that we treat all of our employees well, rewarding people fairly in terms of their pay is crucial to this, but only one element of our strategy which has also seen us review our grading structure, launch a new rewards and recognition programme, and introduce greater flexibility to our employee benefits scheme.”