Welsh Government £500 extra payment for social care workers

All social care workers in Bridgend county borough will receive a £500 extra payment from the Welsh Government in recognition of their work during the coronavirus pandemic.

Announcing the payment on Friday, May 1, the First Minister Mark Drakeford said the payment would be made available to more than 64,000 care home workers and domiciliary care workers in Wales.

It comes after the Welsh Government has provided an initial £40m extra funding for adult social care services to help meet the extra costs associated with responding to the coronavirus pandemic.

First Minister Mark Drakeford said: “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.

“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, who commission social care services in Wales, and with trade unions and Care Forum Wales, to finalise details.

Further details about the extra payment will be announced shortly.

The First Minister has called on the UK Government not to tax the extra payment, enabling social care workers to keep the full amount. The Welsh Government is also working with the Department for Work and Pensions to make sure it does not impact on people’s benefit entitlements.

Social care workers in the county borough are doing a phenomenal job every day, taking care of our elderly and the vulnerable. We are well aware that without them our communities would suffer.

This extra payment is one way to say ‘thank you’ to them for their hard work, their commitment and above all, their care for those in need in such a challenging time.

The council is now working through the detail and will be informing staff as soon as this has been done.

Welcoming the announcement, Bridgend County Borough Council’s cabinet member for social services and wellbeing Philip White