MP hits out over care workers’ pay rates

Sunderland Central’s MP Julie Elliott grilled Boris Johnson over care workers’ wages during Prime Minister’s Questions following concerns from care workers.

Julie Elliott accused the Government of “pass[ing] the buck” for the way care workers have been treated before asking the Prime Minister “Why won’t this Government commit to ensuring our care workers are paid a wage they can live on?”

This follows concerns from care workers over pay, to which Julie Elliott said the Government responded with a statement expressing how “immensely proud” they were of all care workers before adding that ‘the vast majority of care workers are employed by private providers’ so the Government has no involvement with setting their levels of pay.

She said: “Last week the Government responded to concerns from our care workers by stating ‘We’re immensely proud of all our care workers.’

“This is a sentiment we all share, yet in the very same statement, the Government sought to pass the buck for the way our care workers have been treated by saying, ‘The vast majority of care workers are employed by private providers and that theGovernment does not set levels of pay for care workers.’”

Boris Johnson hit back by stating that the national living wage has increased in recent years.

He said: “This Government is proud of, not only setting up the national living wage, but making sure that we had record breaking increases both last year and this year and that is the most important thing we can do for care workers and workers across the country.”