Council officers will explore 10 ways to help low-paid workers.
Kirklees Council is looking at what more it can do after introducing the living wage of £7.88 a minimum for its own staff.
It includes promoting pensions and in-work benefits to people who could be eligible.
Clr Graham Turner, Cabinet member for Resources, said the aim was to work towards implementing all 10 of the recommendations of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority Low Pay Charter.
He added: “The living wage is not a silver bullet, it does not eliminate low pay altogether.”
Clr Viv Kendrick added: “One thing I want to emphasise is the work Kirklees has been doing with Leeds to look at how to develop a responsive employee benefits package and to communicate it to low paid staff.
“Many staff don’t know what benefits they should be getting.”
Clr David Sheard added: “We started with the living wage for our staff. With all these aims, we are equally committed and we’ll work through them.”
He added: “It is important that this is not seen as something only benefiting our own employees. By setting an example and encouraging other local organisations to do the same we will hopefully help a lot more people in the region to take a step out of poverty.
“It also means that this money will be filtering down to those who are in greater need and who will feel the greater benefit. It will be spent locally to boost our economy, supporting business and helping us to make us a thriving region in which to live, work and invest.”
Kirklees Cabinet members admit that while the living wage is admirable, more is needed to eliminate or alleviate the problems low-paid workers face.
The 10 recommendations are: remove the bottom two pay scales (for councils not paying the living wage); review pension information; support staff to achieve their potential through personal/professional development; review HR policies; promote staff-benefits packages; promote health and wellbeing activities; apply a social value policy to commissioned services; guard against zero hours contracts; use influence of councils to tackle low pay regionally.
The Charter was compiled by the leaders and chief executives of all West Yorkshire authorities.
The issue is also set to be discussed at a meeting of Kirklees Full Council next Wednesday.
