Social Services: Pay
(asked on 27th June 2018) - View Source
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent estimate he has made of the number of care workers who are paid less than the (a) national living wage and (b) national minimum wage as a result of their travel time not being taken into account for the calculation of wages.
The Government’s 2017 evidence to the Low Pay Commission on National Minimum Wage Compliance and Enforcement[1] detailed findings from the 2016/17 Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE). It was estimated that just over 20,000 jobs in the social care sector were paid less than the National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage. However, we do not hold data on the prevalence of travel time as a specific reason for under-payment within this total.
The Government is committed to ensuring that workers are paid fairly and has published guidance relating to travel time[2]. HMRC’s National Minimum Wage enforcement budget has doubled since 2015-16, rising to £26.3 million for 2018-19. Last year, HMRC identified £15.6 million in arrears of wages owed to over 200,000 workers; the largest amount of money recovered for the highest number of workers since the National Minimum Wage came in to force.
HMRC investigate where they believe an employer is not paying the minimum wage, which includes following up every worker complaint they receive. Any worker who is concerned about being underpaid should contact the ACAS helpline (on 0300 123 1100) for free and confidential advice, and to make a complaint.