PARLIAMENTARY EARLY DAY MOTION
HOMECARE WORKERS AND THE NATIONAL MINIMUM WAGE (13 October 2014)

That this House is shocked to note that the National Audit Office reported earlier in 2014 that up to 220,000 care workers in England are illegally paid below the national minimum wage (NMW); further notes that an investigation by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) of care providers between 2011 and 2013 found that 48 per cent were guilty of non-compliance with the NMW; further notes that homecare workers in particular are consistently not paid for travel time or training, too often have illegal deductions made from their pay and are frequently put on zero-hours contracts to deny them their legal rights; recognises that these arrangements have a deleterious impact on quality of care through high turnover of staff and shortened care visits; calls for a statement from the Government on what measures it is proposing to tackle the illegal under-payment of homecare workers; strenuously suggests that HMRC launch a programme of proactive investigations into the sector to help end non-compliance with the NMW, with adequate resources to ensure a thorough and sustained effort; requests that the Government names and shames care providers and councils who fail to pay or commission the NMW as well as name and praise those care providers and councils who have signed up to UNISON's Ethical Care Charter; and further calls for a change in the law to make local authorities and care providers jointly and severally liable for non-payment of the NMW as well as the introduction of stringent regulations under the Care Act 2014 to ensure that care workers are paid at least the national minimum wage.

Sponsored by:
Mr David Anderson (Labour)