Care agency workers ‘being taken advantage of’

Social care and NHS agency staff have reported being offered pay under the £11.44 per hour minimum wage in the first week of April, despite an increase in the rate at the beginning of the month.

According to a survey of 1,012 workers from care staffing app Florence, 5% of respondents were being offered rates under the new rate, with some quoted them as low as £9 and £9.50 per hour, with £10 per hour being the median illegal wage offered by some staffing agencies.

Almost half (47%) of those offered illegal rates were quoted last year’s living wage of £10.42ph or above, suggesting some agencies are willing to take advantage of a potential lack of awareness of the change in law.

Four-fifths (80%) of those offered illegal rates work as care assistants, and 71% have careers of three years or less, showing how those with less industry experience and representation are more vulnerable to poor agency treatment.

Almost one in ten (8%) of survey respondents reported being offered a rate below the legal living wage of £10.42 in the last financial year (between April 2023 – March 2024).

One-fifth (20%) of agency staff surveyed placed their pay satisfaction after the minimum wage change at ‘0’, the lowest possible score.

‘It’s appalling to hear the people who care for us and our loved ones are being taken advantage of in this sustained and disgraceful manner. Nobody should be offered a pay rate below the minimum, but sadly it’s a story we’re all too familiar with in health and social care staffing. I urge care providers to stand up to ensure everyone providing care to their service users is treated legally, respectfully and responsibly,’ said Dr Charles Armitage, chief executive and co-founder of Florence.

Dan Blake, chief operating officer and co-founder of Florence, added: ‘In England, with the new living wage and other on-costs taken into account, £14.10ph is the minimum staffing cost an agency can offer a care provider in order to make all the correct payments via PAYE. Quality care and ethical practices go hand in hand, so rigorously audit your agencies to make sure you’re satisfied in how they operate. If your agency cuts corners on cost, what other compliance standards are they ignoring?’