Fuel prices and pressure on care sector with people not being able to afford to work

[OriginalM]

Is anyone else concerned that with rising fuel costs and availability of diesel in some areas that more pressure is going to be put on the care sector?
In particular the carers who go home to home who get paid a pittance mileage allowance who may now not be able to afford fuel or running a car?
Less people will apply for these jobs factoring in the fuel and running costs and more people may give up running a car due to the fuel and living costs rising.

Well, society, the government and care providers are going to have face the reality that they need to pay more or people go without care, care workers have subsided social care with this kind of thing for a long time and if they cannot afford to do so any longer because of the rising costs then someone else is going to have to cover those costs.

Bumping this as I am wondering if I write to my MP whether they will mention it in Prime minister questions as I do genuinely think this is going to have a massive effect on the care industry people not being able to drive to clients homes and look after them and with the cost of living more and more people will not do these kind of jobs.

I’m lucky in that my company have put the mileage up before we started complaining. I’m shocked but happy !

Could I ask what they pay per mile out of interest?

Yes as above care companies will just have to put up mileage rates if they want to keep staff.

And to pay for that, they will then probably put up the price of care to the service users.

@Babyroobs

Yes as above care companies will just have to put up mileage rates if they want to keep staff.

They may well do that but cut corners elsewhere to make up the shortfall and the employee and client end up suffering

Yanbu, I was wondering this too, especially in rural areas where carers often travel vast distances between their calls.

I'm a community carer. We get 45p a mile Officially - it doesn't always work out that way as they calculate the shortest distance between homes and its not always possible. I think that's the highest any care providers go, as its the max you can get without paying tax on it. Recently we have lost a lot of staff to nursing homes. Currently I'm taking the hit as I can afford to, and I love my job. I'd be better off working for a lower hourly rate and walking to a local nursing home. The highish mileage payment compensates a little for us having gaps between calls and not being paid for those.
I think you're right OP. The industry is going to suffer.

My family member gets 20p a mile but her hourly rate is minimum wage and does get paid for travel time. Literally costing her double now to get around with the fuel going up.