To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to improve pay for care staff.
Answered on
9 March 2015
High quality, compassionate care for the most vulnerable in society can only be delivered by a well-trained, motivated and appropriately remunerated workforce.
Although rates of pay are set by individual employers and thus outside the immediate control of Government, we recognise that pay can be a particular concern for care workers. The first priority in this area is to ensure that all care workers receive the National Minimum Wage (NMW) to which they are entitled.
Enforcement of NMW is led by HM Revenue and Customs. Under a new scheme that came into effect from October 2013, it is now simpler to name and shame employers who break the law, and the first social care providers have now been named.
Further joint work between the Department of Health, the Department for Business Innovation and Skills and HMRC is also underway to encourage and support care sector workers who have been underpaid to make a complaint. This will be backed up by further, targeted enforcement by HMRC, clamping down on businesses who break the law.
Meanwhile, under the new Care Act, local authorities will be required to have regard to fostering an effective workforce with appropriate capabilities – which will include taking account of workers’ pay and conditions. Statutory guidance to the Act states explicitly that local authorities should have evidence to assure themselves that care providers they contract with are paying at least the national minimum wage; and that those found to be recently in breach of the law, should be excluded from the contract tendering process.