A leading home care provider is urging all of its franchisees to write to their MPs to back calls for a review of the planned increases to employers’ National Insurance Contributions (NICs).
SureCare, which operates franchises and branches across England and Scotland, echoed the views of the HomeCare Association which says that the Government’s plan, announced in the recent Budget, could have a devastating impact on social care across the UK.
One of the biggest headlines from the Chancellor’s Autumn Budget was the increase to employers’ NICs and the lowering of the threshold at which employers will start to pay National Insurance on employee earnings, both of which apply to all businesses across all sectors.
The Homecare Association has since written to the Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting and the Chancellor Rachel Reeves to highlight significant concerns. The organisation has included in-depth analysis into the cost of care, how the planned changes will affect care providers, and responses from Homecare Association members.
Meanwhile, an online petition to the Government and Parliament calling for the social care sector to be exempt from the employer NICs increase has so far amassed more than 27,000 signatures – over a quarter of the way to the 100,000 threshold to be considered for a parliamentary debate.
The Care Providers Alliance, which includes the Homecare Association among its members, is also calling for an urgent rethink and for all care providers to be exempt from the changes to NICs.
SureCare is one of the UK’s most established providers of home care services and celebrates its 30th anniversary this year.
Managing Director Gary Farrer said: “We are in full support of the stance taken by the CPA and Homecare Association in calling for an urgent rethink.
“We have asked our extensive network of franchisees to each write to their respective MP asking them to lobby on their behalf.
“Ultimately, any NI increases will have to be passed on to either cash strapped local authorities which have a duty under the Care Act to provide care services, or to private paying clients who depend on the home care services provided by the likes of SureCare to enable them to continue living independently in their own homes for as long as possible.”
Image depicts Gary Farrer, MD of SureCare