An “urgent” staffing crisis could force care homes to close, the government has been warned, as new figures reveal a staggering decline in the number of visas issued to overseas carers.
The number of approved health and care worker visas fell from 121,290 to 89,095 in the year to June 2024, the Home Office has revealed – a decline of more than a quarter. The most significant drop took place after March, when the then-Tory government banned care workers from bringing their spouses and children with them to the UK.
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In the three months to June, visa approvals plunged 81% compared to the same period last year.
The policy shift has had a “huge impact,” said Nadra Ahmed, chair of the National Care Association. “We are really reliant on the international workforce,” she told the Big Issue. “If we can’t get the workforce, care homes simply won’t be able to continue operating. Without a workforce, the sector can’t function.”
The Labour government will not overturn the Conservative-era dependency ban, the Home Office has indicated.
The social care sector has roughly 130,000 vacancies. The 8.3% vacancy rate is around three times the average for other sectors. But low pay and difficult conditions make it extremely hard to recruit a domestic workforce.