Age UK is calling for better pay for the social care workforce to put them on par with their NHS counterparts.
A major report has found that many social care workers are paid £7,000 less than other workers with equivalent skills.
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The voluntary Living Wage rise is set to benefit thousands of low-paid workers, but Unison fears care staff will be left behind.
Labour’s deputy leader Angela Rayner said it was “unconscionable” that the average wage for a care worker is just £8.10 an hour.
The care boss says significant restrictions on social care funding has meant that care providers have not been able to pay their staff more.
The study found that more than seven in ten people think care workers are underpaid, with three in four saying they should be paid the Real Living Wage.
The government has been given the go-ahead to raise the National Living Wage (NLW) by more than £2 an hour by 2024.
Social care employers are struggling to source the talent they need and this is having an impact on the pay packets, the CV-Library said.
Analysis published by the Trade Unions Congress (TUC) shows that real wages for health social workers have fallen 7.6% to £441 a week since 2009.
Research also reveals that those working for private care companies in England earn 17% lower than their public sector counterparts.