Prime Minister Andy Burnham has been warned his drive to fix the social care crisis will fail unless controversial immigration changes are abandoned. Trade union Unison says the number of international recruits into the sector has fallen by more than two thirds in a year, while jobs filled by British workers also dropped.
The Labour-affiliated union has written to Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood urging her to scrap plans to treble the time care workers on visas must wait before applying for permanent settlement. Unison warns the measure will cause “chaos and irreparable damage” to a sector already struggling.
Sharp Drop in International Recruits
Unison analysis found the number of new international recruits into the care sector dropped from 105,000 in 2023/24 to 30,000 in 2025/26. Over the same period, the number of social care jobs filled by British workers fell by 70,000. The sector has an estimated 96,000 vacancies.
Unison general secretary Andrea Egan said: “If the government’s serious about fixing social care, it should immediately scrap these cruel plans that will make it harder to recruit staff. Terrible pay and working conditions are creating shortages in the social care sector. These figures make that crystal clear. A massive drop in overseas workers has not led to rising domestic recruitment or higher wages.”
Proposed Rule Changes Under Fire
The controversial plans would see the standard rate for care workers' settlement rise from five years to 15. The Home Secretary has said the existing rules are unfair and the right to remain in the UK must be earned. But there are growing calls for a carve-out for care workers, as the rules would apply to people already in the country.
Last week borders minister Anna Turley told The Mirror: “I know the Home Secretary has done a huge amount of work on this, she's continuing to look at it at the moment, and I think these the policy will be developed over the coming months. I know the Home Secretary will continue to look at that. I've heard myself many representations, people say particularly those working in the care sector. I know the Home Secretary is working at pace to make sure that we have a system that is fair, that recognises people's contribution, people who want to come to this country and work and work in our essential services and and and contribute. But balance with the reality that we also have to make sure that we can have a sustainable social system, a welfare system that that British people can afford.”
Burnham's Care Reform Ambitions
Mr Burnham has said he is prepared to use any political capital he can muster to sort out Britain's care crisis. Last month he said he does not want to leave office without bringing about substantial change. The Prime Minister, whose father Roy receives care for Alzheimer's, said: “I will go as quickly as I can on the reform of social care... I think there are major changes you can make before the next election. This costs the NHS billions of pounds and we will never get the NHS back to good waiting time standards until we fix social care.”
An independent review into the state of the care sector, being carried out by Baroness Louise Casey, has been accelerated to report back next year. A government spokeswoman said: “The Prime Minister has set out his plan to start to mend our broken social care system based on a better deal with its workforce – with better progression, pay, training and job security at its heart. A consultation on elements of our earned settlement reforms has now closed, and we will set out our response in due course.”
