Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he intends to take steps through the fair pay agreement process for the adult social care sector to reduce the take-home pay gap between social care support workers and equivalent NHS Band 3 roles.

We plan to introduce the first ever Fair Pay Agreement in 2028, backed by £500 million of funding to improve pay and conditions for the adult social care workforce.

The Fair Pay Agreement process will see a new body formed to negotiate changes to pay and terms and conditions for care workers, improving recruitment and retention, and giving staff better recognition for their vital work. Both employers and trade unions will sit on the body, and this initial investment will mean that by 2028, care workers will expect to see a boost in their yearly wages.

The details of individual Fair Pay Agreements for the care sector, including who it applies to, and the resultant impacts on an individual’s pay in a given social care role, will be subject to this negotiation process, and is for the negotiating body to decide.