Subsistence wage? (6)
I believe the answer is:
living
I believe this is a double definition.
'subsistence' is the first definition.
(thesaurus)
'wage?' is the second definition.
(living wage is a kind of wage)
(Other definitions for living that I've seen before include "Alive, income" , "19 of London, or 25 of Africa?" , "Quick; benefice" , "Existing" , "parish" .)