Coronavirus: All care workers in Wales to receive £500 payment from government

Payments provide recognition for ‘under-valued and overlooked’ workforce, says first minister Mark Drakeford

All care workers in Wales are to receive a one-off payment of £500 in recognition of their “hard work”, first minister Mark Drakeford has announced.

Up to 64,000 care home workers and domiciliary care workers across the country are to benefit from the handouts.

This comes after the Welsh government provided an initial £40m in additional funding for adult care services to help meet the costs of responding to the coronavirus pandemic.

Speaking at a press conference on Friday, Mr Drakeford said the cash gifts provide “recognition” for a workforce what is “under-valued and overlooked”.

“Tens of thousands of people work in social care in Wales, looking after some of the most vulnerable people in our communities and are doing so with great dedication in often challenging circumstances,” he said.

“They are undertaking tasks, which involve a high level of intimate personal care, often accepting a greater degree of risk and responsibility. Many of our social care workers are juggling their own personal caring responsibilities with their professional ones.

“I want our social care workforce to know their hard work is both appreciated and recognised. This payment is designed to provide some further recognition of the value we attach to everything they are doing to – it recognises this group of people are providing the invisible scaffolding of services, which support both our NHS and our wider society.”

The Welsh government is working with local authorities and trade unions to finalise details of the payment.

Mr Drakeford called on Westminster not to tax the handouts or those with other work benefits in the country.

“We are urging the UK government and the HMRC to make an exception in these truly exceptional circumstances,” the first minister added.