'Day of action offers care staff the chance to say enough is enough'

Sector fears Budget measures will force homes to close

- By Giles Sheldrick

CARE providers who say they have been forced to the brink by the Budget will protest at Parliament today.

The event the first in history by those running care homes and employed in social care - comes amid fears the Government's policies will see the closure of facilities looking after the vulnerable.

An army of providers and social care workers is set to march on Westminster in the hope of forcing an 11th-hour U-turn on devastating National Insurance and wage hikes announced in October which will bite from April 6.

Employers will pay 15% in NI contributions on salaries above £5,000, compared to 13.8% on those above £9,100 now.

In addition, the national living wage will increase to £12.21 an hour, while the national minimum wage, for those aged 18 to 20, will rise to £10 an hour.

Signal

Taken together, Labour's raid will push hundreds of small and medium-sized providers, who look after the lion's share of those in receipt of adult social care, to a cliff edge.

In turn that could send an already stretched system into meltdown, with a loss of capacity coming as demand rises and the number of people going without care spikes.