The Living Wage Foundation (LWF) has announced its support for a new campaign calling for an increase in public funding to pay all social care workers a real Living Wage. The campaign, led by community organising group Citizens UK, is part of a wider campaign calling for key workers to be paid at least the real Living Wage of £10.75 in London and £9.30 in the rest of the UK.
The LWF joins a range of civil society groups, faith leaders and unions, including the Archbishop of York and the Bishop of Durham, as well as the Royal College of Nursing and Unison, in backing Citizens UK's campaign.
Katherine Chapman, Director of the Living Wage Foundation, said: "If this crisis has made one thing clear, it's how much we rely on key workers to support our society. However, with almost 40% of all of our key workers earning less than the real Living Wage, and 280,000 social care workers in underpaid and insecure work, there is an urgent need to rethink how we value and reward those working in these critical roles. Providing social care workers with a real Living Wage is an excellent first step to building back better from this crisis, and we're delighted to join a range of community leaders and cross-party politicians in supporting this campaign."
Robert Stephenson-Padron, Managing Director of Penrose Care, said: "This has been an incredibly difficult time for social care workers. Many employers are struggling to pay their workers a decent wage when they need, and deserve, it most. To date we have had zero cases of Covid-19 among our staff and clients, and we believe this largely stems from Penrose Care's ethical way of operating - of which paying the real London Living Wage is the cornerstone. This also means that our staff are more motivated and productive, which in turn benefits our business. However, if we really want to make a difference in the long-term, we need political leaders to step up and commit to fund a real Living Wage throughout the sector - it's the only way to guarantee quality care for the most vulnerable in our society."
Kevin Hollinrake MP said: ""We are now all prouder than ever of our army of care workers and clearer than ever about the hugely important role they play. We make sure that this recognition extends to what they receive in their pay packets. To enable this system-wide, we urgently need to bring forward a new long-term solution for social care that incorporates a new deal for the people who work in it."