Written question asked by Jess Brown-Fuller (Liberal Democrat) on Thursday, 10 September 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 14 September 2026. It was answered by Alison McGovern (Labour) on Monday, 21 September 2026 on behalf of the Department of Health and Social Care.

Care Workers: Conditions of Employment

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of (a) the potential impact of unpaid travel time on the income and retention of domiciliary care workers and (b) the potential safeguarding risks associated with mandatory uniform requirements; and whether she plans to take steps as a result.

Answer

All social care workers must be paid at least the National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage for the work that they do. Time spent travelling between appointments counts as working time for minimum wage purposes.

If an individual believes their rights as a worker are not being upheld, they can seek confidential guidance and support from the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas). Acas can be contacted on 0300 123 1100, or they can visit the ACAS website for further information, which is available at the following link:

https://www.acas.org.uk/

They can also submit a query online directly to HM Revenue & Customs via GOV.UK; it considers every complaint it receives.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: 29062
Session: 2026-27
Subjects: Conditions of employment Care workers
Link: View this Written question on www.parliament.uk

Care Workers: Conditions of Employment

Secondary information

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