Liz Kendall MP, Labour’s Shadow Minister for Care and Older People, responding to Unison’s research showing that most councils in England and Wales are failing to ensure that home care workers are paid the National Minimum Wage said:

“Care workers do an incredibly important job, looking after our loved ones when they are at their most vulnerable. Yet as Unison has shown, thousands are not even paid the minimum wage, let alone a living wage.

"Labour’s research has revealed that half of all providers inspected by HMRC failed to pay the minimum wage. Over a million pounds was owed to care workers – yet still, neither HMRC nor the Government will tell us which companies are responsible or how many people have been affected.

"It is totally unacceptable for companies to fail to meet their legal duties. The Government must immediately name the companies concerned, HMRC must take action in each case where it finds non-compliance, Ministers must accept Labour’s call for fines for non-payment of the minimum wage to be raised to £50,000 and dedicated care workers must get what they are owed.”