Labour has renewed its demands for the Government to publish a plan for all social care workers to be paid the real Living Wage, as new research reveals a “moral outrage” of low pay affecting care workers.
As Living Wage Week continues, Labour’s Deputy Leader Angela Rayner has demanded action after new figures from the Living Wage Foundation and Citizens UK found that 78 per cent of care workers in the North West are paid less than the real Living Wage, and up to 94 per cent in some areas.
Rayner, who was a home care worker and represented social care workers as a trade union official before becoming a Member of Parliament, led Labour’s calls in September for the Government to fix the crisis in social care and publish a plan to ensure all social care workers are paid the real Living Wage.
Among the worst affected areas in the North West were Blackpool (94%), Knowsley (94%), Liverpool (93%), Tameside (88%) and Lancashire (91%).
It was announced this week that the real Living Wage has risen to £9.50 in the UK and £10.85 in London.
Across the UK, the analysis of Skills for Care data found that nearly three quarters (73%) of care workers are paid less than the real Living Wage. This is despite the care sector being hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, and public mood being clearly behind a pay rise for care workers. Polling commissioned by Citizens UK for Living Wage Week found that more than eight in ten people back Government investment in social care to fund a pay rise for care workers.
Angela Rayner, Deputy Leader of the Labour Party, said:
“Ministers fell over themselves to pose for the cameras and clap our carers earlier this year, but applause doesn’t pay the bills and warm words don’t put food on the table.
“It is a moral outrage that 78 per cent of social care workers in the North West do not even earn the real Living Wage. This situation was wrong before this pandemic, but now it is absolutely unconscionable.
“After all that they have done for all of us, a pay rise is the very least that our care worker heroes deserve”.
