Many carers are not paid for travel time between service users, even though it is part of their working day. This means some carers work long hours but are only paid for contact time. We think this is unfair, lowers real pay and risks carers' salaries falling below minimum wage.

Unpaid travel time and insufficient mileage payments are widespread in the care sector and can result in carers working long hours without being paid for all the time they work. We believe this practice is unfair, risks bringing pay close to or below the minimum wage, and can contribute to staff shortages and burnout. Paying carers fairly could improve retention, quality of care, and sustainability of the care system.