▁shelter , ▁util ities , ▁transport , ▁health ▁care , ▁and ▁child ▁care . ▁Living ▁w age ▁advoc ates ▁have ▁further ▁defined ▁a ▁living ▁w age ▁as ▁the ▁w age ▁equivalent ▁to ▁the ▁pover ty ▁line ▁for ▁a ▁family ▁of ▁four . ▁The ▁income ▁would ▁have ▁to ▁allow ▁the ▁family ▁to ▁' secure ▁food , ▁shelter , ▁cl othing , ▁health ▁care , ▁transport ation ▁and ▁other ▁necess ities ▁of ▁living ▁in ▁modern ▁society '. ▁A ▁definition ▁of ▁a ▁living ▁w age ▁used ▁by ▁the ▁Gre ater ▁London ▁Author ity ▁( G LA ) ▁is ▁the ▁threshold ▁w age , ▁calculated ▁as ▁an ▁income ▁of ▁ 6 0 % ▁of ▁the ▁median , ▁and ▁an ▁additional ▁ 1 5 % ▁to ▁allow ▁for ▁un for ese en ▁events . ▁▁ ▁Living ▁w age ▁campaign s ▁came ▁about ▁partially ▁as ▁a ▁response ▁to ▁Re agan om ics ▁and ▁Th atch er ism ▁in ▁the ▁US ▁and ▁UK , ▁respectively , ▁which ▁shift ed ▁macro e conom ic ▁policy ▁towards ▁ne oli ber al ism . ▁A ▁living ▁w age , ▁by ▁increasing ▁the ▁purch asing ▁power ▁of ▁low ▁income ▁workers , ▁is ▁supported ▁by ▁Ke yn esian ▁and ▁post - Ke yn esian ▁econom ics ▁which ▁focus es ▁on ▁stim ulating ▁demand ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁improve ▁the ▁state ▁of ▁the ▁economy . ▁ ▁History ▁▁ ▁The ▁concept ▁of ▁a ▁living ▁w age , ▁though ▁it ▁was ▁not ▁defined ▁as ▁such , ▁can ▁be ▁trac ed ▁back ▁to ▁the ▁works ▁of ▁ancient ▁Greek ▁philosoph ers