Most workers who don't earn the living wage believe their employers could afford to pay it, according to a new poll.

A survey of more than 2,000 workers by the TUC showed that of the one in three who say their employer does not pay the living wage to all staff, 79 per cent believed they could afford to pay it.

Half of all those questioned think their employer can afford better pay rises than those they have given to staff.

The study was published to mark the opening day of the TUC Congress in Liverpool, which has the theme Britain Needs A Pay Rise.

The majority of those surveyed said that their pay has failed to keep up with inflation over the last few years.

Nearly half agreed that the pay for those lower down in their organisation had not gone up as much as pay for those at the top in recent years and most agreed that the pay gap is too big.

TUC general secretary Frances O'Grady said: "It is no surprise that people think their pay has failed to keep up with inflation, but a clear majority now think that their bosses could do better.

"There may have been a time when people thought a cut in their living standards was an unfortunate economic necessity. But that is not the case today. That is why the clear message from this poll is not just that Britain needs a pay rise, but that it can afford it too."