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Study: 160,000 care workers paid less than minimum wage

A new study has revealed around 160,000 care workers are being paid less than the national minimum wage, each losing out on an average of £815 a year.

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Resolution Foundation: 'Scandal' over care worker wages

The Resolution Foundation said the national minimum wage should be enforced more toughly to stamp out the abuse, calling for a joint effort from national and local government as well as social care providers.

Every worker has the right to the minimum wage yet illegal non-payment is all too common in the social care sector.

It's scandalous that these workers, who do such demanding and valuable work, are being cheated out of £130 million every year through what is effectively wage theft by their employers.

Diminishing public funding and ever tighter commissioning practices are placing great pressure on care providers, but there is simply no excuse for breaking the law and HMRC urgently needs to get tougher on employers who do so.

– Laura Gardiner of the Resolution Foundation

Study: 160,000 care workers paid less than minimum wage

A new study has revealed around 160,000 care workers are being paid less than the national minimum wage, each losing out on an average of £815 a year.

Study: 160,000 care workers paid less than minimum wage. Credit: PA

Research by the Resolution Foundation suggested that the amount of under-payment was worth £130 million a year. The think tank said the "wage theft" was mainly caused by employers not paying staff for time spent travelling between clients as well as unpaid training and "on call" time.

The estimates do not take account of any illegal deductions in pay, said the report.

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