Almost a quarter of Kingston residents are living on less than the capital’s living wage.

Figures from the Office of National Statistics show 23.2 per cent of people in the borough scraped by in 2014.

Frances O’Grady, Trade Union Central general secretary, said: “Everybody deserves a fair day's pay for an honest day’s work.

“But with more and more jobs paying less than the living wage, it is clear that millions of workers are not getting their fair share from the economic recovery.

“It is particularly shocking that so many more women than men are denied the living wage.

“We need to value women's work more.

“And we need employers in sectors with large female workforces, such as care services, retail and hospitality, to give their staff fairer pay.”

The rate, £9.15 in London, set by the Living Wage Foundation, is due to be changed next month.

In neighbouring boroughs, Wandsworth had 26.8 per cent of its residents living on less and Richmond had 21.1 per cent in 2014.