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Novus Health has become the first Living Pension Employer in Wakefield, as well as the first in West Yorkshire. The independent health provider – which delivers free audiology, physiotherapy and dermatology services to Wakefield residents on behalf of the NHS – employs 65 members of staff from its headquarters in Horbury and four local health and wellbeing hubs across the district.

The Living Pension standard will provide stability and security for all Novus Health staff, both now and in the future. This voluntary savings target for employers is designed to help workers build up a pension pot that will provide enough income to meet basic everyday needs in retirement. It is independently calculated based on the real cost of living. All new employees joining Novus Health will automatically be enrolled on the Living Pension.

Novus Health is already one of 14,000 businesses nationwide who have voluntarily signed up as a Real Living Wage Employer, meaning they pay their staff more than the statutory minimum rates of pay set out by the government. Accredited employers are committed to paying their staff a ‘real’ and realistic wage which reflects recent cost of living increases and meets everyday needs, like the weekly shop or a surprise trip to the dentist.

Chief Executive of Novus Health, Luke Streeting, said: “Our commitment to provide the Living Pension to our employees is a very important step to ensure all our staff can look forward to a decent standard of living in retirement.

“We’re already an accredited Living Wage Employer, helping to close the gap between the top and bottom earners. As a responsible local employer, we feel it’s only right to go the extra mile – particularly in these incredibly challenging times – to ensure the financial welfare of our team members is secure in the future.”

There are only three other Living Pension Employers in the wider Yorkshire and the Humber region, and 33 Living Pension Employers in total across the UK. Novus Health is the third employer in the health sector to sign up to the Living Pension.

Katherine Chapman, Director of the Living Wage Foundation, said: “We are delighted thatNovus Health has signed up as a Living Pension employer. Over the last ten years the Living Wage campaign has grown in strength and numbers. Now paid by over 14,000 employers, it delivers essential pay rises to 460,000 workers every year. The Living Pension builds on this by encouraging employers like Novus Health to do more to help their workers build a pension pot that meets basic everyday needs in retirement.”

Novus Health becomes first Living Pension Employer in West Yorkshire