Manx minimum wage to align with living wage within five years

The Isle of Man minimum wage is to be brought in line with the national living wage within the next five years.

The move was among 15 recommendations approved by Tynwald after being put forward by a select committee on poverty.

The committee was set up to investigate causes of poverty and what the Manx government could do to tackle it.

The minimum hourly wage is currently £8.25 and the living wage is £10.87.

As part of its investigation the committee carried out a survey, which found the incomes of 44% of those that took part did not meet their outgoings.

Chairman Juan Watterson SHK said: "Almost half of survey respondents said they did not have the ability to purchase enough food and more than half said they struggled to keep warm".

'Great deprivation'

Key areas considered by the committee focused on accessibility of financial support, what could be learnt from the coronavirus pandemic and how they could collectively plan for the future.

Mr Watterson said while in many areas the benefits system worked well, there were other areas of "great deprivation and need".

On accessibility, he asked why people faced a 17-page application form to receive financial help, when Treasury's Covid-19 support schemes had shown in the last 18 months how much simpler the process could be.

In response, Treasury Minister Alfred Cannan said the "social security division does intend to develop its online service's capability to simplify the application process wherever possible".

Other recommendations included providing free school meals wherever there was "reasonable justification" and making calls to government support lines free of charge.

Five of the 15 recommendations were amended by Policy and Reform Minister Ray Harmer, after which the motion was approved.

Mr Watterson said the measures had "the potential to transform lives."