The Care Workers’ Charity welcomes the publication of the latest edition of Community Integrated Care’s ‘Unfair to Care’ report, which again highlights the deep-rooted inequalities affecting the adult social care workforce and the mounting pressures facing the sector.
Now in its fifth year, the report adds to the growing body of evidence on the persistent pay gap between social care workers and comparable NHS roles. Despite a 6.7% increase in the National Living Wage to £12.21 in 2025/26, there has been no meaningful shift in the difference between social care support workers and NHS Band 3 staff. On average, support workers still take home 28.6% less, equivalent to £7,048 a year. The scale of the disparity is even clearer when total reward is considered. The average salary for a social care support worker, including pension, is £25,376, compared with £36,367 for an NHS Band 3 role, a gap of 43.3%.
Adult social care in England employs an estimated 1.21 million support workers, accounting for 75.6% of the total 1.59 million workforce. Yet workforce pressures remain severe. The vacancy rate stands at 7%, more than three times the UK-wide job vacancy rate of 2.3%, underlining the ongoing difficulties providers face in recruiting and retaining workers.
These workforce pressures sit alongside increasing financial strain for providers. In 2025/26, operating costs rose by an average of 9%, driven by higher employer National Insurance contributions and the uplift in the National Living Wage. Without funding that reflects the true cost of care, many providers remain unable to increase pay beyond the statutory minimum.
The Government’s commitment of £500 million by 2028/29 towards a Fair Pay Agreement is an important acknowledgement that reform is needed. However, the report makes clear that this alone will not be enough. Modelling suggests that this funding would equate to around 68p per hour above the National Minimum Wage. Even if it were available today, care workers would still earn 29p per hour less than the NHS baseline rate.
The report also points to wider risks that could further destabilise the sector. Proposed immigration policy changes could reduce international recruitment by up to 50,000 care workers a year, while frozen
Income Tax and National Insurance thresholds are estimated to remove £1.4 billion from care workers’ take-home pay before the Fair Pay Agreement comes into force.
Responding to the report, Karolina Gerlich, CEO of The Care Workers’ Charity, said:
“The Unfair to Care report highlights the structural inequality at the heart of the social care system. We know the National Living Wage has increased, and the Government has recognised the need for reform through commitments such as the Fair Pay Agreement. But the reality is that the pay gap between social care and the NHS remains largely unchanged.
Care workers deliver complex, skilled and compassionate support that enables millions of people to live their lives with dignity, independence and choice. Yet too many continue to feel undervalued and underpaid.
It is encouraging to see serious engagement with the challenges facing social care. But the sector cannot wait until 2028 for meaningful change. Care workers and the people who rely on them need to see progress now. That means interim investment to narrow the pay gap, fair commissioning that reflects the true cost of care, and policies that support recruitment and retention across the workforce.
Social care is not a peripheral issue. It is about all of us, our families and our communities. If we are serious about building a sustainable system that delivers good care and support for everyone who needs it, then we must centre the voices and experiences of care workers and the people they support in the decisions we make.”
The Care Workers’ Charity supports the report’s recommendations and calls on the Government to:
· Deliver a fully funded Fair Pay Agreement, alongside interim pay increases, to ensure care workers delivering vital support today are not forced to leave the sector before reform takes effect.
· Tackle the inequalities facing the social care workforce, including the persistent pay gap with comparable NHS roles and the lack of clear career progression and professional recognition.
· Reverse current Home Office proposals on international recruitment and introduce a fairer, more stable pathway for international care workers who play a vital role in supporting the UK’s care system.
· Work directly with care workers to understand the realities of delivering care and ensure that future reforms are shaped by the experience of the workforce.
The Care Workers’ Charity stands ready to work alongside care workers, Government, providers and partners across the sector to build a fairer, more sustainable future for social care.
For further information, please contact Sophie Henry at The Care Workers’ Charity at sophie@thecwc.org.uk.