Carers should be paid more to tackle staffing crisis, advisers tell Government

Carers should be paid a higher minimum wage and made permanently eligible for work visas under immigration rules to help tackle staff shortages, according to Government advisers.

The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC), which briefs ministers on immigration policy, urged the Government to adopt a string of recommendations “as soon as possible” in order to “alleviate the challenges facing the social care sector”.

But the body also warned immigration “cannot be a silver bullet” to solve “fundamental” problems in the industry, such as “increased demand for care, high vacancy rates and poor terms and conditions of employment compared to competing occupations”.

In February, the Government relaxed immigration rules for care workers so providers could recruit from overseas to fill vacancies.

But at the time, some charities warned the change would have “little or no effect” on staff shortages as most UK employers do not pay enough for them to qualify for the scheme.

The MAC’s report, published on Wednesday, said “persistent underfunding of the care sector by successive governments underlies almost all the workforce problems in social care. Higher pay is a prerequisite to attract and retain social care workers.”

Among 19 recommendations made as part of its findings of the review into the effect that ending the freedom of movement had on the adult social care industry, the MAC said:

– The Government should immediately introduce a “fully funded” minimum rate of pay for care workers in England that is above the National Living Wage (of £9.50), starting at £10.50 per hour.

– Care workers should be made permanently eligible for the Health and Care Worker visa and keep them on the Shortage Occupation List (SOL) – designed to help migrants get work visas to fill jobs where there are shortages – until it is next reviewed.

– Additional taxes – like settlement fees and immigration skills charges – placed on such workers should be “scrapped or substantially lowered”.

MAC chairman Brian Bell said the recommendations would “help alleviate the challenges facing the social care sector” but said the body was “clear that immigration cannot be a silver bullet to solve the fundamental challenges the sector faces”, adding: “These challenges result from years of underfunding which predate and dwarf any immigration related factors.

“We urge the Government to put our recommendations in place as soon as possible – beginning with the introduction of a minimum rate of pay for care workers in England, removing the immigration skills charge and for the occupation to continue to be placed on the Shortage Occupation List for the foreseeable future.”