A better social care system must start with better conditions for care workers 29 July 2026 Commenting on the Prime Minister’s announcement today (Wednesday) confirming that the Fair Pay Agreement for social care staff will come into effect in April 2028, and that he’s looking to build more progression routes for staff into the NHS, Hannah Slaughter, Principal Economist at the Resolution Foundation, said: “Social care staff perform a vital service, but that is not reflected in how they are valued by society. “They are among the lowest paid workers in Britain, are often subject to insecure contracts and constantly have to battle with staff shortages that make their jobs more intense. “The Fair Pay Agreement should help to address many of these issues, especially if complemented by better progression routes both within care and into the NHS. This should encourage more people to consider care as a career.” Key facts about care workers from recent Resolution research: Low pay: Average pay among frontline care workers was just 79p above the minimum wage in 2024-25 Illegally low pay: Breaches of labour market rules are worryingly widespread, with estimates suggesting over 21,000 workers are underpaid the minimum wage. The true figure likely higher still once we account for the fact that unpaid travel time often brings home carers’ average pay below the minimum wage. Poor pay progression: A care worker with at least five years’ experience in 2025 could expect to earn just 7p more an hour than those with less than one year (down from 33p in 2016). Job insecurity: one-in-five (21 per cent) workers in the sector are on a zero-hours contract Recruitment struggles: Over one-in-three care providers said better pay outside the sector was the main cause of staff leaving in 2024, while three-in-ten said it was the main difficulty finding new staff. Notes to Editors The Foundation’s latest work on Fair Pay Agreements is here, while the wider impact of growing caring responsibilities features in our Unsung Britain book.
