Wes Streeting Unveils £500m Boost for Care Workers’ Pay Across England
Health Secretary Wes Streeting has announced a major £500 million funding package aimed at improving pay and working conditions for care staff throughout England. The move comes as part of Labour’s ongoing push to overhaul the social care sector.
Speaking at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool, Streeting promised an end to “poverty pay” for care workers.
“We will no longer accept a system built on poverty pay and zero-hour insecurity,” Streeting said.
“We will back the first-ever fair pay agreement for care workers, not just in law but in practice – starting with £500 million to deliver better pay, terms and conditions for care workers across our country.
Because the people who care for our loved ones should never struggle to care for their own.”
The funding will underpin a new fair pay agreement, which aims to create a dedicated negotiating body bringing together care employers and trade unions.
This is expected to provide a clearer, more secure framework for wages and working conditions in the sector.
Labour’s Commitment to a National Care Service
During his speech, Streeting reaffirmed Labour’s ambition to establish a national care service, promising an end to precarious contracts and insecure employment for thousands of care workers.
The Health Secretary highlighted that this package is not just about pay. “It’s about respect, stability, and recognition for the workforce who support some of the most vulnerable in our society,” Labour sources said.
Timeline for Implementation
A public consultation on the design of the fair pay agreement is set to begin shortly, with legislation forming part of the forthcoming Employment Rights Bill.
The adult social care negotiating body is scheduled to be formalised through regulations in 2026, with the first fair pay agreement expected to take effect in 2028.
Labour officials insist this timeline allows for careful planning and a robust legal framework.
Funding and Union Reactions
The £500 million comes from a broader £4 billion increase in adult social care funding for 2028/2029, announced earlier this year by Chancellor Rachel Reeves.
Unison general secretary Christina McAnea welcomed the announcement but emphasised that more investment will be necessary.
“The funding announced is a start, but substantially more will be needed to deliver the national care service the public deserves,” she said.
“Ministers will have to increase the funding behind the fair pay agreement at the earliest opportunity. Then wages in care can rise more quickly, and the staffing crisis will end.”
The announcement signals Labour’s intent to put social care workers at the centre of policy planning, addressing long-standing issues of low pay and job insecurity.
Care providers and trade unions are expected to enter discussions immediately as the consultation process begins.
