THE living wage will make Glenrothes and Central Fife healthier, as well as wealthier.

That’s the message from Labour Parliamentary Candidate Melanie Ward, citing research which shows that paying the living wage would help reduce the current strain on NHS Fife.

Melanie Ward, who has also been campaigning for action to address problems faced by NHS Fife, said that the money saved by the NHS in the Kingdom could be as much as £1.1 million after two years and £18.7 million after 20 years.

The research was conducted by the respected Scottish Public Health Observatory and calculated how much money the NHS could save based on “prevented hospitalisations”. The figure for Scotland as a whole is more than £250 million over a 20 year period.

Melanie Ward, who will fight the seat which contains Cardenden and Kinglassie in the May General Election, is a long time campaigner for the living wage and last month chaired a meeting at the Lomond Centre, in Glenrothes, to discuss the need for an extension of the living wage to more low paid jobs like catering, retail and social care.

Some 26,000 people in Fife are paid less than the living wage. Scottish Labour plans to extend the living wage were blocked five times in 2014 by the Scottish Government but this new research shows the case for the living wage to be absolutely clear.

Ms Ward (pictured), said, “I am a strong supporter of the living wage, and the evidence for this is now overwhelming. The living wage makes moral sense, it makes business sense and now it is clear that it will save money for public services, like our NHS. I will champion the living wage if I’m elected as our local MP in the General Election next year.” She added, “Too many people in Glenrothes and Central Fife need a pay rise.

“So many local families tell me they are one unexpected bill away from choosing between heating and eating, especially at this time of year. Meanwhile, our NHS in Fife is teetering on the verge of crisis; overstretched, understaffed and underfunded.

“We can help tackle these problems with the living wage. But the Tories are not interested, and the SNP voted against the living wage five times in 2014.

“That is just not good enough when more than 26,000 people in Fife – that’s 1 in 5 Fifers – are earning less than the living wage.”