Dudley social care provider joins calls for Government U-Turn on increase to national living wage

The "National Day of Action" movement is urging the government to improve funding for the social care sector, and reverse a decision made in the Autumn budget to increase employers' national insurance contributions.                        

Movement organisers wrote to the Chancellor Rachel Reeves last year urging her to row back on proposed budget measures, which it said would "threaten to deepen an already critical £8.4 billion funding shortfall" in the social care sector.

The campaign, which describes itself as a "grassroots" coalition of social care providers, says the changes to the National Living Wage and employer national insurance contributions are "unsustainable".

The event, set to be held on February 25, will see participants gather in Westminster to call for "meaningful change" in the sector. 

"The social care sector is at a critical juncture, and it is more important than ever that we come together to demand real change," said Christopher Taylor, Managing Director of Bridgewater Home Care.

"Our dedicated carers work tirelessly to support the most vulnerable in our communities, yet the challenges we face – from funding shortages to workforce pressures – continue to grow. The ‘Providers Unite’ Day of Action is an opportunity for us to make our voices heard and to push for the reforms necessary to safeguard the future of care. We are proud to stand alongside fellow providers in this movement and to shine a light on the urgent need for change."

In their letter to the Government in November, organisers of the protest warned of a "systematic collapse of community care services" as a result of the budget measures, calling for an immediate review of the measures and for the establishment of "exemptions similar to those granted to the NHS."

The National Living Wage will increase by 6.7% to £12.21 per hour from April 2025.

"Although the increase in the National Living Wage is beneficial for our staff, concurrent Budget changes, specifically the rise in National Insurance contributions and the lowered thresholds are set to drive an unsustainable minimum 9.4% increase in employer costs," the letter added.

"This policy risks triggering a cascade of contract surrenders and service reductions, leaving our most overlooked citizens without essential social care and potentially forcing more people onto NHS waiting lists. "