Carers Minimum Wage

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[AREA]’s Lib Dems call for Carers’ Minimum Wage as vacancies spiral to [INSERT FIGURE - COLUMN J]

The Liberal Democrats are calling for a higher minimum wage for care workers in [AREA], to tackle chronic staff shortages in social care.

It comes as the latest figures reveal [AREA] has [INSERT FIGURE - COLUMN J] job vacancies in the social care sector, meaning there is a vacancy rate of around [INSERT FIGURE - COLUMN I] per cent.

These chronic staff shortages are leading to patients being left stuck in hospitals waiting for social care, contributing to record-breaking waits in A&E and dangerous ambulance delays.

Under the Liberal Democrat plans, social care workers would be paid at least £2 an hour more than the current minimum wage, bringing their pay up to at least £11.50 an hour today - and £12.42 from this April. The proposals would benefit up to [INSERT FIGURE - COLUMN G] people working in the social care sector in [AREA].

Commenting, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for [AREA], [NAME] said:

“The social care crisis is having a devastating impact vulnerable people’s wellbeing, and contributing to record long waits at A&E and terrible ambulance delays in our area. 

“Too many people in [AREA] are stranded in hospital beds because there simply aren’t enough care workers to look after them at home or in a care home.

“The first step to fixing this mess is to pay those working in social care more, to prevent the exodus of workers to supermarkets and other better paid jobs. I have seen first-hand the incredible job that care workers do day in and day out. This is a skilled and crucial job and it should be paid more.”

Commenting, Leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey added: 

“It is heart-breaking that millions of elderly and vulnerable people across the country are struggling to get the care they need and deserve. Our NHS is collapsing and social care is completely broken after  years of broken Conservative promises.

“The Conservatives’ neglect of social care services has caused an exodus of staff to better paying jobs. Our plan for a Carer’s Minimum Wage would tackle these chronic staff shortages in social care, and help take pressure off the NHS.”

ENDS 

Notes to editors

There are currently 165,000 vacancies in social care – up 55,000 since last year (Source: Skills for Care - Workforce Data).

According to the Resolution Foundation, the net cost to central government of funding an extra £2/h for carers is around £890m a year in current prices. (Resolution Foundation report ‘Who Cares?’, 2023, p.38, footnote 35.)

Remote Gaming Duty is currently levied at 21 per cent. According to the latest HMRC figures, it raised £970 million in 2021-22. Increasing it to 42 per cent would therefore raise an additional £970m, assuming no behavioural change.

According to the Resolution Foundation (p.37), there were 1.7 million social care jobs in the UK in 2022, and more than half of care workers would see their pay improve as a result of a £2/h pay rise (more than 850,000 workers)

Public Health England has estimated the adverse impact of gambling on society at around £1.3 billion a year – through a combination of financial harms and the impact on physical and mental health, employment, education and crime.

Around one in three care workers are paid minimum wage (Source: Skills for Care - Pay in the adult social care sector).