UK Lib Dems propose taxing gambling to pay Carer’s Minimum Wage

The party is proposing a new Carer’s Minimum Wage.

UK.- The Liberal Democrat Party has announced a proposal to tax gambling companies more in order to pay for a new Carer’s Minimum Wage. Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey said the proposal aims to tackle huge staff shortages in the social care sector. 

The proposal is that social care workers would be paid at least £2 an hour more than the current minimum wage, which would take their pay to at least £11.50 an hour today and £12.42 from April. The party says the proposal would benefit 850,000 workers, more than half of those working in frontline care.

It also says the move would reduce pressure on hospital beds because three in five people are currently discharged earlier than they should be due to a shortage of carers. As for how the Lib Dems would pay for the proposal, Davey said they would find the money by taxing the gambling industry. He said the sector deserved to pay more because of the burden its activities cause the NHS.

Various charities, including GambleAware, have called for the UK to introduce a mandatory levy on gaming operators to fund problem gambling research, prevention and treatment. The possibility seemed to have been ruled out judging by leaked content from the gambling white paper but it remains to be seen what the final report will contain once published.