Latest news with #HealthFoundation
Daily Mirror
6 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mirror
Shock report shows care home workers are more likely to live in poverty
The new report by the Health Foundation shows one in five care home workers and their families live in poverty while one in ten have to go without food The nation's army of care workers are more than twice as likely to live in poverty than the average worker, it has been revealed. A new report shows one in five care home workers and their families live in poverty, while one in ten have to go without food. Health Foundation analysis found 80% of UK jobs paid more than the average care worker wage of £12 an hour in 2024. It warns many care workers are on zero-hours contracts and exploitation of care workers is on the rise. One in ten children of care home workers have to go without essentials, like a warm winter coat. Proper pay for workers was a key demand of the Mirror 's Fair Care for All campaign, which also highlighted the collapse in access to social care over the last decade. Patricia Marquis, director of Royal College of Nursing in England, said: 'It is unacceptable that those caring for some of the most vulnerable are forced to live in poverty, unable to pay for food and use welfare payments to top up their salaries. "It is a sad state of affairs that such a vital workforce is so poorly valued and little wonder that there are so many vacancies. When care homes cannot recruit enough staff it leaves too many without access to the care they deserve.' The Health Foundation analysed national data from 2021/22 to 2023/24 which also showed 15% of care home workers have to rely on Universal Credit to get by. Lucinda Allen, policy fellow at the Health Foundation, said: 'Caring for older people and disabled people is vital and fulfilling work, but it has long been underpaid and undervalued. "So many care workers and their families are struggling to keep up with bills, afford enough food, put savings aside, and provide warm clothing for their children.' The Mirror has launched the Fair Care for All campaign calling for social care to be properly staffed and funded. Successive governments have ditched or delayed plans to reform funding for social care, leaving many going without vital care and worsening pay and conditions for carers. The Health Foundation says the Government's Employment Rights Bill has the potential to transform work in social care, helping to ensure people are cared for and lift workers out of poverty. Planned 'Fair Pay Agreements' for social care could set a new sector minimum wage but the recent Spending Review did not commit enough funding to substantially increase carers' pay. The Health Foundation estimates that raising the wage floor in social care to the level of clinical support workers and administrative workers in the NHS would result in an average 6.6% rise in household income. The independent health charity calculates this will cost an extra £2.3 billion by 2028/29. Researcher Lucinda Allen added: 'Around one in every 20 working people in England is employed in social care. Enhancing pay and working conditions in the care sector could be an important part of the government's growth agenda, improve people's lives and help fill the 131,000 social care vacancies. The government must deliver on its promise of fair pay for care workers, alongside wider improvements to our care system.' After Labour won power last year it launched the Casey Review of adult social care to tackle the thorny issue of how the country should pay to care for its elderly. The first phase is expected to be complete by 2026 and will focus on changes that can be made over the medium term within existing resources. The second phase will report by 2028 and will consider 'the long-term transformation of adult social care'. The Government has been criticised for delaying fundamental reform of social care until the next Parliament. Delivering the review's recommendations may be dependent on Labour winning a second term in power. Lib Dem carers spokesperson Alison Bennett MP said: 'The Conservatives' total neglect of social care brought us to this point, but this Labour government is now sitting on its hands. They have kicked fixing social care into the long grass whilst those holding the sector together continue to suffer immeasurably.' A spokeswoman for the Government said: 'Care workers play a vital role in society caring for our most vulnerable and deserve to be paid properly for their hard work. That's why we've launched the first ever Fair Pay Agreement for carers, increased the National Living Wage - worth £1,400 more a year for full-time workers - and delivered the biggest ever rise in the Carer's Allowance earnings threshold. 'We have also launched an independent review into social care to build a National Care Service, which will also look at how we can improve working conditions and retention.'
South Wales Guardian
6 days ago
- Health
- South Wales Guardian
Care home workers ‘almost twice as likely to be in poverty as average UK worker'
Earlier this month, following the launch of the Government's 10-year health plan focused on the NHS, Health Secretary Wes Streeting said he would 'shortly be setting out how we will deliver the first ever fair pay agreements for the care workforce, building a real social care progression'. The adult social care sector has long faced problems with staff retention and recruitment, with an estimated 131,000 vacancies on any given day. No date has yet been announced for details to be given on the Fair Pay Agreement as part of the Employment Rights Bill, which is currently making its way through the House of Lords. It is expected the Government will confirm how much funding will be available to support it and launch a consultation at some point later this year into how it should work. The spending review published last month stated there would be an increase of more than £4 billion of funding available for adult social care in 2028-29, compared with 2025-26. But the Health Foundation has estimated this might not be enough to both fund the sector more generally to meet rising demand for social care and to ensure better pay for workers. The charity estimated an extra £3.4 billion would be necessary just to meet demand for publicly-funded social care in England in 2028/29, while increasing pay for the care workforce to at least NHS band three levels could cost a further £2.3 billion. Current band three annual salaries for full-time workers in roles such as emergency care assistants and occupational therapy support in the NHS are between £24,937 and £26,598. Such an increase could lead to a 6.6% rise on average in household income for care home staff and their families, leading to 'a modest but important reduction in poverty', the charity said. For the poorest fifth of care home staff and their families, household income could rise by 14.7%, it added. According to Health Foundation analysis of national data from 2021/22 to 2023/24, someone working in a care home in the UK is almost twice as likely to live in poverty as the average UK worker, while children in those families are three times more likely to be materially deprived as those in the average working household. The analysis, which used data from the Households Below Average Income (HBAI) and the Family Resources Survey (FRS), found that over the three-year period, care home workers were twice as likely to live in a food-insecure household as the average UK worker and twice as likely to have used a food bank in the past year compared with other workers. While 2.9% of workers in residential care had used a food bank, this compared with 1.5% of all workers. The charity said its findings 'likely underestimate poverty rates for the whole care workforce' as they focused their research on staff in care homes rather than those looking after people in their own homes, where the organisation said 'problems with insecure employment and underpayment are even greater'. The report states that, given its estimates of how much funding is needed to meet demand in the sector and provide better pay, the current £4 billion announced by Government risks 'leaving local authorities to choose between providing people with the care they need and funding much needed wage rises for the care workforce'. Lucinda Allen, policy fellow at the foundation, said while social care is 'vital and fulfilling work', it has 'long been underpaid and undervalued'. She added: 'Around one in every 20 working people in England is employed in social care. Enhancing pay and working conditions in the care sector could be an important part of the Government's growth agenda, improve people's lives, and help fill the 131,000 social care vacancies. 'The Government must deliver on its promise of fair pay for care workers, alongside wider improvements to our care system.' The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) urged the Government to swiftly introduce a fair pay agreement, after the report highlighted 'the urgent need to improve pay and conditions for care workers'. RCN England executive director Patricia Marquis said: 'It is a sad state of affairs that such a vital workforce is so poorly valued and little wonder that there are so many vacancies. When care homes cannot recruit enough staff it leaves too many without access to the care they deserve. 'Ministers must not delay in introducing a fair pay agreement and a new body to improve conditions for care workers, as well as rooting out exploitation. Failure to do so will only undermine ambitions to move care into the community and deepen a social care workforce crisis that harms the vulnerable.' Unison general secretary Christina McAnea described it as a 'national scandal those looking after some of the most vulnerable are more likely to be on poverty pay and struggling to make ends meet'. She added: 'By finding the funding for a fair pay agreement that should see care workers rewarded properly, the Government will be showing it's serious about transforming the crisis-ridden sector. 'Decent wages have to be at the heart of the promised national care service the country needs so desperately.' A Government spokesperson said: 'Care workers play a vital role in society caring for our most vulnerable and deserve to be paid properly for their hard work. 'That's why we've launched the first ever Fair Pay Agreement for carers, increased the National Living Wage – worth £1,400 more a year for full-time workers – and delivered the biggest ever rise in the Carer's Allowance earnings threshold. 'We have also launched an independent review into social care to build a National Care Service, which will also look at how we can improve working conditions and retention.' The Casey Commission, launched earlier this year, aims to set out a plan to implement a national care service, but social care leaders have previously raised concerns over the potential timeline of 2036 for some recommended reforms to be introduced.
Rhyl Journal
6 days ago
- Health
- Rhyl Journal
Care home workers ‘almost twice as likely to be in poverty as average UK worker'
Earlier this month, following the launch of the Government's 10-year health plan focused on the NHS, Health Secretary Wes Streeting said he would 'shortly be setting out how we will deliver the first ever fair pay agreements for the care workforce, building a real social care progression'. The adult social care sector has long faced problems with staff retention and recruitment, with an estimated 131,000 vacancies on any given day. No date has yet been announced for details to be given on the Fair Pay Agreement as part of the Employment Rights Bill, which is currently making its way through the House of Lords. It is expected the Government will confirm how much funding will be available to support it and launch a consultation at some point later this year into how it should work. The spending review published last month stated there would be an increase of more than £4 billion of funding available for adult social care in 2028-29, compared with 2025-26. But the Health Foundation has estimated this might not be enough to both fund the sector more generally to meet rising demand for social care and to ensure better pay for workers. The charity estimated an extra £3.4 billion would be necessary just to meet demand for publicly-funded social care in England in 2028/29, while increasing pay for the care workforce to at least NHS band three levels could cost a further £2.3 billion. Current band three annual salaries for full-time workers in roles such as emergency care assistants and occupational therapy support in the NHS are between £24,937 and £26,598. Such an increase could lead to a 6.6% rise on average in household income for care home staff and their families, leading to 'a modest but important reduction in poverty', the charity said. For the poorest fifth of care home staff and their families, household income could rise by 14.7%, it added. According to Health Foundation analysis of national data from 2021/22 to 2023/24, someone working in a care home in the UK is almost twice as likely to live in poverty as the average UK worker, while children in those families are three times more likely to be materially deprived as those in the average working household. The analysis, which used data from the Households Below Average Income (HBAI) and the Family Resources Survey (FRS), found that over the three-year period, care home workers were twice as likely to live in a food-insecure household as the average UK worker and twice as likely to have used a food bank in the past year compared with other workers. While 2.9% of workers in residential care had used a food bank, this compared with 1.5% of all workers. The charity said its findings 'likely underestimate poverty rates for the whole care workforce' as they focused their research on staff in care homes rather than those looking after people in their own homes, where the organisation said 'problems with insecure employment and underpayment are even greater'. The report states that, given its estimates of how much funding is needed to meet demand in the sector and provide better pay, the current £4 billion announced by Government risks 'leaving local authorities to choose between providing people with the care they need and funding much needed wage rises for the care workforce'. Lucinda Allen, policy fellow at the foundation, said while social care is 'vital and fulfilling work', it has 'long been underpaid and undervalued'. She added: 'Around one in every 20 working people in England is employed in social care. Enhancing pay and working conditions in the care sector could be an important part of the Government's growth agenda, improve people's lives, and help fill the 131,000 social care vacancies. 'The Government must deliver on its promise of fair pay for care workers, alongside wider improvements to our care system.' The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) urged the Government to swiftly introduce a fair pay agreement, after the report highlighted 'the urgent need to improve pay and conditions for care workers'. RCN England executive director Patricia Marquis said: 'It is a sad state of affairs that such a vital workforce is so poorly valued and little wonder that there are so many vacancies. When care homes cannot recruit enough staff it leaves too many without access to the care they deserve. 'Ministers must not delay in introducing a fair pay agreement and a new body to improve conditions for care workers, as well as rooting out exploitation. Failure to do so will only undermine ambitions to move care into the community and deepen a social care workforce crisis that harms the vulnerable.' Unison general secretary Christina McAnea described it as a 'national scandal those looking after some of the most vulnerable are more likely to be on poverty pay and struggling to make ends meet'. She added: 'By finding the funding for a fair pay agreement that should see care workers rewarded properly, the Government will be showing it's serious about transforming the crisis-ridden sector. 'Decent wages have to be at the heart of the promised national care service the country needs so desperately.' A Government spokesperson said: 'Care workers play a vital role in society caring for our most vulnerable and deserve to be paid properly for their hard work. 'That's why we've launched the first ever Fair Pay Agreement for carers, increased the National Living Wage – worth £1,400 more a year for full-time workers – and delivered the biggest ever rise in the Carer's Allowance earnings threshold. 'We have also launched an independent review into social care to build a National Care Service, which will also look at how we can improve working conditions and retention.' The Casey Commission, launched earlier this year, aims to set out a plan to implement a national care service, but social care leaders have previously raised concerns over the potential timeline of 2036 for some recommended reforms to be introduced.
North Wales Chronicle
6 days ago
- Health
- North Wales Chronicle
Care home workers ‘almost twice as likely to be in poverty as average UK worker'
Earlier this month, following the launch of the Government's 10-year health plan focused on the NHS, Health Secretary Wes Streeting said he would 'shortly be setting out how we will deliver the first ever fair pay agreements for the care workforce, building a real social care progression'. The adult social care sector has long faced problems with staff retention and recruitment, with an estimated 131,000 vacancies on any given day. No date has yet been announced for details to be given on the Fair Pay Agreement as part of the Employment Rights Bill, which is currently making its way through the House of Lords. It is expected the Government will confirm how much funding will be available to support it and launch a consultation at some point later this year into how it should work. The spending review published last month stated there would be an increase of more than £4 billion of funding available for adult social care in 2028-29, compared with 2025-26. But the Health Foundation has estimated this might not be enough to both fund the sector more generally to meet rising demand for social care and to ensure better pay for workers. The charity estimated an extra £3.4 billion would be necessary just to meet demand for publicly-funded social care in England in 2028/29, while increasing pay for the care workforce to at least NHS band three levels could cost a further £2.3 billion. Current band three annual salaries for full-time workers in roles such as emergency care assistants and occupational therapy support in the NHS are between £24,937 and £26,598. Such an increase could lead to a 6.6% rise on average in household income for care home staff and their families, leading to 'a modest but important reduction in poverty', the charity said. For the poorest fifth of care home staff and their families, household income could rise by 14.7%, it added. According to Health Foundation analysis of national data from 2021/22 to 2023/24, someone working in a care home in the UK is almost twice as likely to live in poverty as the average UK worker, while children in those families are three times more likely to be materially deprived as those in the average working household. The analysis, which used data from the Households Below Average Income (HBAI) and the Family Resources Survey (FRS), found that over the three-year period, care home workers were twice as likely to live in a food-insecure household as the average UK worker and twice as likely to have used a food bank in the past year compared with other workers. While 2.9% of workers in residential care had used a food bank, this compared with 1.5% of all workers. The charity said its findings 'likely underestimate poverty rates for the whole care workforce' as they focused their research on staff in care homes rather than those looking after people in their own homes, where the organisation said 'problems with insecure employment and underpayment are even greater'. The report states that, given its estimates of how much funding is needed to meet demand in the sector and provide better pay, the current £4 billion announced by Government risks 'leaving local authorities to choose between providing people with the care they need and funding much needed wage rises for the care workforce'. Lucinda Allen, policy fellow at the foundation, said while social care is 'vital and fulfilling work', it has 'long been underpaid and undervalued'. She added: 'Around one in every 20 working people in England is employed in social care. Enhancing pay and working conditions in the care sector could be an important part of the Government's growth agenda, improve people's lives, and help fill the 131,000 social care vacancies. 'The Government must deliver on its promise of fair pay for care workers, alongside wider improvements to our care system.' The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) urged the Government to swiftly introduce a fair pay agreement, after the report highlighted 'the urgent need to improve pay and conditions for care workers'. RCN England executive director Patricia Marquis said: 'It is a sad state of affairs that such a vital workforce is so poorly valued and little wonder that there are so many vacancies. When care homes cannot recruit enough staff it leaves too many without access to the care they deserve. 'Ministers must not delay in introducing a fair pay agreement and a new body to improve conditions for care workers, as well as rooting out exploitation. Failure to do so will only undermine ambitions to move care into the community and deepen a social care workforce crisis that harms the vulnerable.' Unison general secretary Christina McAnea described it as a 'national scandal those looking after some of the most vulnerable are more likely to be on poverty pay and struggling to make ends meet'. She added: 'By finding the funding for a fair pay agreement that should see care workers rewarded properly, the Government will be showing it's serious about transforming the crisis-ridden sector. 'Decent wages have to be at the heart of the promised national care service the country needs so desperately.' A Government spokesperson said: 'Care workers play a vital role in society caring for our most vulnerable and deserve to be paid properly for their hard work. 'That's why we've launched the first ever Fair Pay Agreement for carers, increased the National Living Wage – worth £1,400 more a year for full-time workers – and delivered the biggest ever rise in the Carer's Allowance earnings threshold. 'We have also launched an independent review into social care to build a National Care Service, which will also look at how we can improve working conditions and retention.' The Casey Commission, launched earlier this year, aims to set out a plan to implement a national care service, but social care leaders have previously raised concerns over the potential timeline of 2036 for some recommended reforms to be introduced.
South Wales Argus
6 days ago
- Health
- South Wales Argus
Care home workers ‘almost twice as likely to be in poverty as average UK worker'
Earlier this month, following the launch of the Government's 10-year health plan focused on the NHS, Health Secretary Wes Streeting said he would 'shortly be setting out how we will deliver the first ever fair pay agreements for the care workforce, building a real social care progression'. The adult social care sector has long faced problems with staff retention and recruitment, with an estimated 131,000 vacancies on any given day. Health Secretary Wes Streeting has said fair pay agreement details will be set out soon (Lucy North/PA) No date has yet been announced for details to be given on the Fair Pay Agreement as part of the Employment Rights Bill, which is currently making its way through the House of Lords. It is expected the Government will confirm how much funding will be available to support it and launch a consultation at some point later this year into how it should work. The spending review published last month stated there would be an increase of more than £4 billion of funding available for adult social care in 2028-29, compared with 2025-26. But the Health Foundation has estimated this might not be enough to both fund the sector more generally to meet rising demand for social care and to ensure better pay for workers. The charity estimated an extra £3.4 billion would be necessary just to meet demand for publicly-funded social care in England in 2028/29, while increasing pay for the care workforce to at least NHS band three levels could cost a further £2.3 billion. Current band three annual salaries for full-time workers in roles such as emergency care assistants and occupational therapy support in the NHS are between £24,937 and £26,598. Such an increase could lead to a 6.6% rise on average in household income for care home staff and their families, leading to 'a modest but important reduction in poverty', the charity said. For the poorest fifth of care home staff and their families, household income could rise by 14.7%, it added. According to Health Foundation analysis of national data from 2021/22 to 2023/24, someone working in a care home in the UK is almost twice as likely to live in poverty as the average UK worker, while children in those families are three times more likely to be materially deprived as those in the average working household. The analysis, which used data from the Households Below Average Income (HBAI) and the Family Resources Survey (FRS), found that over the three-year period, care home workers were twice as likely to live in a food-insecure household as the average UK worker and twice as likely to have used a food bank in the past year compared with other workers. While 2.9% of workers in residential care had used a food bank, this compared with 1.5% of all workers. The charity said its findings 'likely underestimate poverty rates for the whole care workforce' as they focused their research on staff in care homes rather than those looking after people in their own homes, where the organisation said 'problems with insecure employment and underpayment are even greater'. The report states that, given its estimates of how much funding is needed to meet demand in the sector and provide better pay, the current £4 billion announced by Government risks 'leaving local authorities to choose between providing people with the care they need and funding much needed wage rises for the care workforce'. Lucinda Allen, policy fellow at the foundation, said while social care is 'vital and fulfilling work', it has 'long been underpaid and undervalued'. She added: 'Around one in every 20 working people in England is employed in social care. Enhancing pay and working conditions in the care sector could be an important part of the Government's growth agenda, improve people's lives, and help fill the 131,000 social care vacancies. 'The Government must deliver on its promise of fair pay for care workers, alongside wider improvements to our care system.' The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) urged the Government to swiftly introduce a fair pay agreement, after the report highlighted 'the urgent need to improve pay and conditions for care workers'. RCN England executive director Patricia Marquis said: 'It is a sad state of affairs that such a vital workforce is so poorly valued and little wonder that there are so many vacancies. When care homes cannot recruit enough staff it leaves too many without access to the care they deserve. 'Ministers must not delay in introducing a fair pay agreement and a new body to improve conditions for care workers, as well as rooting out exploitation. Failure to do so will only undermine ambitions to move care into the community and deepen a social care workforce crisis that harms the vulnerable.' Unison general secretary Christina McAnea described it as a 'national scandal those looking after some of the most vulnerable are more likely to be on poverty pay and struggling to make ends meet'. She added: 'By finding the funding for a fair pay agreement that should see care workers rewarded properly, the Government will be showing it's serious about transforming the crisis-ridden sector. 'Decent wages have to be at the heart of the promised national care service the country needs so desperately.' A Government spokesperson said: 'Care workers play a vital role in society caring for our most vulnerable and deserve to be paid properly for their hard work. 'That's why we've launched the first ever Fair Pay Agreement for carers, increased the National Living Wage – worth £1,400 more a year for full-time workers – and delivered the biggest ever rise in the Carer's Allowance earnings threshold. 'We have also launched an independent review into social care to build a National Care Service, which will also look at how we can improve working conditions and retention.' The Casey Commission, launched earlier this year, aims to set out a plan to implement a national care service, but social care leaders have previously raised concerns over the potential timeline of 2036 for some recommended reforms to be introduced.
