As I understand it, the 'living wage' is the wage rate needed for you to be able to live. The 'minimum wage' is the minimum wage rate that employers are legally obliged to pay. The difference between the two is the abuse of employer of employee due to underpaying for their labour; and which the hard working taxpayer is expected to cough up. Latterly it seems some government folk are misusing the term 'living wage' to mean the 'minimum wage' in the hope of fooling folk into thinking that they are doing the right thing.