Home care provider gives pay rise to staff to cover government's National Insurance hike

Bluebird Care North Hampshire & West Berkshire has given its staff an extra 1.25 per cent annual increase, to cover the hike in National Insurance contributions announced by Boris Johnson, which he says will boost funding for social care in England.

A health and social care levy of 1.25 per cent will be introduced through National Insurance from April 2022 which will raise £12bn a year.

The social care reforms mean that from October 2023, no one in England will have to pay more than £86,000 in personal care costs over the course of their lifetime. Those with assets less than £20,000 will have all their personal care costs fully covered by the state.

The changes in National Insurance contributions will cost £255 a year for someone earning £30,000, and £505 a year for someone on £50,000.

Bluebird Care North Hampshire & West Berkshire has said that it does not wish for its staff to have to contribute to the sector in which they work in.

Its director, Phil Miles, said: “Bluebird Care North Hampshire & West Berkshire understands the government needs to properly fund health and social care in the UK, however, we cannot allow our staff to be worse off as a result after they have been working during some of the most difficult times that our sector has ever been through.

“Therefore, we are delighted to commit to an additional increase in pay of 1.25 per cent above our normal annual uplift calculation in April 2022 to ensure that none of our staff feel financially disadvantaged because of the increase in National Insurance Contributions. Considering all they have done during the pandemic, it is the least we can do.”

Bluebird Care North Hampshire & West Berkshire’s home care services include domiciliary care, companionship, live-in care, night and respite treatment and end-of-life support, along with specialist dementia and Alzheimer’s disease care.

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