14 Dec 2023
by Policy, Practice and Innovation Team

The Homecare Association’s new calculation for the Minimum Price for Homecare in England is £28.53 per hour, effective from April 2024, when the UK’s statutory National Living Wage increases.

Our Minimum Price is the amount required to ensure the minimum legally compliant pay rate for careworkers (excluding any enhancements for unsocial hours working), their travel time, mileage, and wage-related on-costs. The rate also includes the minimum contribution towards the costs of running

The National Living Wage will increase by 9.8% to £11.44 in April 2024, the largest ever rise. This compounds an existing deficit – with NHS bodies and councils struggling to keep up with last year’s 9.7% rise.

Many homecare providers are paying headline rates above the National Living Wage to attract and keep careworkers in a tight and competitive labour market. Care work increasingly requires high skills and so we strongly believe that it deserves fair recognition and rewards.

We call on the Government to invest £8 billion more per year to increase wages for careworkers and ensure quality and sustainability of care services.

To meet future demand, improve access to care and cover the full cost of care, the Government must invest an extra £18 billion per year by 2032-33, a 6% a year realterms increase, according to the Health Foundation.

Homecare Association Minimum Price for Homecare - England 2024-2025.pdf