Half of care workers in England earn less than entry level supermarket roles

MPs tackling crisis of 165,000 staff vacancies hear of managers dreading Aldi opening nearby as I know I will lose staff'

Half of care workers employed in independent care homes would earn more if they took an entry level job in a supermarket, according to new research into a staffing crisis that has left thousands of vulnerable people suffering inadequate care.

In June nearly 400,000 care staff earned less than the minimum wages paid in most of the major supermarket chains, while a third of workers would have received an immediate 6.3% pay increase, plus staff benefits, by moving to the best-paying supermarkets, according to the research by the King's Fund health thinktank.