The Independent Care Group is urging all social care providers, the entire sector workforce and the public to urgently sign a petition which calls on the Government to exempt social care from the rise in employer’s National Insurance.
They say the survival of social care services, along with jobs and workforce pay are all at risk if the National Insurance increase goes ahead.
The petition has already passed 10,000 signatures, which requires a response from the Government. Now campaigners are targeting 100,000 signatures, which would mean the petition would be considered for debate in Parliament.
The care provider organisation, The Independent Care Group (ICG) is concerned that the increase in National Insurance will place a further financial burden on care providers.
It is worried some providers will close, leading to an increase in the 2m people who currently can’t get care. It says the added NI cost, on top of increases in the National Living and National Minimum wages, could push providers over the edge.
It is backing the petition and urging everyone who works in, benefits from or cares about social care, to sign it.
ICG Chair Mike Padgham said: “For care providers, this could well be about survival and for the workforce it is about their jobs and their pay, so it is vital that we get up to 100,000 signatures.
“With 1.7m people working in social care, hundreds of thousands of families benefiting from it and the public, it should be possible to reach that figure.
“That would demonstrate to the Government a level of feeling, worry and concern about the impact the increase in employer’s National Insurance will have of the care of older, vulnerable and disabled adults.
“It is good to hear that hospices are to be given some support in meeting this extra cost, but we must go further and ensure that all bodies delivering care to the public sector get help in meeting this burden.”
He said the Government either had to make social care providers exempt from the National Insurance increase or ring-fence funding with local authorities, that commission the bulk of care, to pay for the rise.
In the Autumn Statement the Chancellor increased employer’s National Insurance and also confirmed that the National Living Wage will go up to £12.21 an hour and the National Minimum Wage, for those aged 18 to 20, up to £10 an hour next spring.
The link to the petition is: