The National Living Wage is £7.83 an hour for those aged over 25, but a new study from the Child Poverty Action Group found a couple with two children on the National Living Wage are £49 a week short of the income needed to have a no-frills lifestyle.
It also claimed a single parent on the National Living Wage is £74 a week short of the minimum income needed.
Liam Purcell from Church Action on Poverty told Premier News Hour he wasn't shocked by the report.
"We've been seeing growing numbers of people having to depend on food aid to survive and going to food banks even though they're working," he said.
"People are working long hours and working multiple jobs and are still unable to put food on the table. It has a terrible effect on parents and a really bad effect on children."
"The Government label this a National Living Wage but if it isn't enough to live on it's not a real living wage.
Purcell called for more employers "to pay the real living wage which is £8.75 an hour".
He said many churches have already committed to doing so.
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