Skills for Care 2026 Workforce Report: CWC Calls for Fair Pay

The Care Workers’ Charity responds to Skills for Care’s State of the Adult Social Care Sector and Workforce in England 2026 report, calling for urgent action on fair pay, secure working conditions and recognition of care workers’ skills and experience.

14 October 2026

Today, Skills for Care published ‘The State of Adult Social Care Sector and Workforce in England 2026’ report. We welcome the clarity it brings, though we are unsurprised by much of what it finds.

Care workers are paid barely above the legal minimum, with almost no reward for experience and too little security. In March 2026, a typical care worker earned £12.60 an hour, 39p above the minimum wage. A care worker with five or more years’ experience earns on average 12p more than someone in their first year, down from 33p in 2016. In comparison, an NHS healthcare assistant with two or more years’ experience earns 85p more than a new starter.

Speaking at the launch, The Minister of State for Health and Social Care said: “It’s an extremely hardworking workforce, very highly skilled, but under recognised, because for too long I think people have looked down on social care. We need the social care workforce right to the fore of the British political discussion about the future of our country.”

The report also finds:

• 27% of care and support workers are paid at or within 10p of the minimum wage, up from 18% in 2024.
• Before April’s rise, 53% of care workers were paid less than the new £12.71 minimum wage.
• 46% of care workers earn less than the Real Living Wage, rising to 67% in London.
• Fewer than one in four independent employers pay care workers more than Statutory Sick Pay.

Our own evidence shows what those figures mean in a household. Our 2025 Care Worker Wellbeing Survey of over 2000 care workers found that 72% don’t feel financially secure, 28.69% had relied on foodbanks and 26.69% had often thought about leaving their organisation.

Princess Obe, a member of our Care Worker Advisory Board and Champions Project, represented care workers at the launch. She said: “Being a care worker is hard work that matters deeply. We show up because it is what we love to do and because we care, but the skill we bring to the table is not respected or valued.”

Skills for Care also finds that 48% of care workers are carrying out delegated healthcare activities. In our own survey of over 300 care workers, 93% of those asked to carry out these activities had never received additional pay for it. We support the principle that delegation should be person-led and based on clinical judgement rather than a fixed list. We would add that care workers themselves are asking for clarity because many describe catheter care, wound management, stoma care and medication duties as simply ‘part of the job’, without receiving adequate training, fair remuneration or even recognising them as clinically delegated interventions.

Vacancies and turnover have fallen; however, the workforce behind those figures is under strain. International recruitment has fallen from 105,000 in 2023/24 to 30,000. The number of British people starting direct care roles in the independent sector has halved since 2018/19, and since 2021/22 fewer British people have joined than have left. A further 410,000 posts will be needed by 2040.

The report shows what keeps people in care. Care workers who had fair pay for their area, guaranteed hours, training, a qualification and full-time work were less than half as likely to leave as those who had none of these.

Karolina Gerlich, CEO of The Care Workers’ Charity, said:

“Twelve pence an hour- that is what this country says five years of skill and commitment is worth. Care workers are dressing wounds, managing medication and supporting people with complex needs, and many are still paid at the legal minimum, on contracts with no guaranteed hours and only statutory sick pay. We were really pleased that Skills for Care approached us to ensure care workers were represented at the launch, because the people delivering care and support should always be in the room when discussions are happening about the sector. Lower vacancies are welcome, but that doesn’t mean the job is done. Fewer people are coming into care, and the report is clear about what keeps them: fair pay, secure hours, training and recognition. We know what works – care workers can’t wait until 2028 for it.”

We welcome the Government’s commitment to a workforce plan and care workers must be part of building it. This report doesn’t tell care workers anything they don’t already know. The question is no longer what is wrong; it is who is prepared to fix it? The Care Workers’ Charity remains committed to working with The Government and the sector to ensure any reform is led by care workers.

What needs to change

The Care Workers’ Charity is calling for:

1. Pay that reflects experience and responsibility, with differentials protected as the floor rises.
2. Guaranteed hours as the default and payment for all working time, including travel.
3. Delegated healthcare activities recognised in pay, with training and supervision attached before any task is delegated.
4. Interim action ahead of The Fair Pay Agreement taking effect in 2028, because care workers are making decisions now about whether they can afford to stay.
5. Care workers involved in developing the workforce plan from the outset, through structures such as our Care Worker Advisory Board and Champions Project.
6. The addition of the ‘Senior Care Worker’ role to the Care Workforce Pathway.

Interviews available

• Karolina Gerlich, Chief Executive of The Care Workers’ Charity: available for TV, radio and print interviews. Karolina is a former care worker, regularly briefs MPs and government on social care workforce policy, and has been quoted in national media including BBC News, the Guardian and the Times.
• Care workers with lived experience: CWC can connect journalists with care workers willing to speak on the record about pay, working conditions, and reliance on the charity’s hardship grants. Case studies available on request.

About The Care Workers’ Charity (CWC)

The Care Workers’ Charity is the only UK charity dedicated to supporting paid care workers across the social care sector. We have provided over £7 million in crisis grants to over 14,000 care workers. We offer mental well-being support to care workers, ensuring they receive assistance during challenging times. The CWC provides accredited Mental Health First Aid training to care workers and other staff and advocates for policy changes to improve lives and working conditions in the UK. We participate in government roundtables, academic forums, and policy discussions, sharing insights from our grant applicants’ experiences. To learn more about our mission and initiatives, visit www.thecareworkerscharity.org.uk.

Registered charity no. 1207208 (England and Wales) and SC055526 (Scotland).

Registered office: Rushworth Studios, 2 Rushworth Street, London, SE1 0RB.

www.thecareworkerscharity.org.uk

Broadcast-ready clips, b-roll, photography and care worker case studies available on request.

Media contact: Shanna Wells | shanna@thecwc.org.uk | 07930 992443