Care home bosses critical of PM's National Insurance rise to 'fix' social care

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Care home bosses in the region have criticised the Prime Minister's plans to increase National Insurance contributions to "fix the broken social care system". 

The increase will raise £36 billion over the next three years to help tackle NHS Covid backlogs and overhaul social care.

It comes as care homes across the region face a staffing crisis with record levels of vacancies.

An increase in National Insurance has been announced to help pay for social care. Credit: ITV News Anglia

Unprecedented staff shortages have left carers at Summerville House care home near King's Lynn at breaking point.

Maria Costeira, Deputy manager at Summerville House, said: "I work over hours, I work over shifts, in this moment I can say that I am exhausted, physically and even psychologically.

"These residents need someone who can care 100 per cent. We are so exhausted that we can't give to them what we should. I really sometimes want to leave this job, I feel frustrated."

Some care home managers in the East have been critical of the Prime Minister's plans to increase National Insurance. Credit: ITV News Anglia

The social care sector is facing its worst staffing crisis in history. Low wages, the pandemic and Brexit mean care bosses are struggling to recruit and retain staff.

Today the Prime Minister pledged to fix it by raising taxes - something he promised not to do in his 2019 manifesto

Much of the revenue will help clear the Covid backlog in the NHS, with social care receiving only £5.3 billion. 

The Prime Minister told the Commons: "From next April, we will create a new UK-wide 1.25% health and social care levy on earned income hypothecated in law to health and social care with dividend rates increasing by the same amount.

"Yes I accept this breaks a manifesto commitment which is not something I do lightly but a global pandemic was in no one's manifesto Mr Speaker."

The new tax rises will raise £36billion over three years. Credit: ITV News Anglia

But not everyone is welcoming the move. Raj Seghal manages Somerville House and three other care homes in West Norfolk. 25 per cent of his staff have left since the start of the pandemic.

Raj says raising National Insurance is the wrong approach and care providers should be zero rated for VAT instead. 

Raj Sehgal, Managing Director of ArmsCare Ltd, said: "It us absolutely dire, it is not just us, it is not just Norfolk, this is a national crisis that we are facing.

"Funding a problem is not the answer, we need other solutions.

"If they sat down and talked to people in the sector and talked to the industry leaders, that are actually on the ground floor, they will be able to come up with solutions far better than just raising income tax which they promised not to do."