Welsh council leader 'concerned' about impact immigration plan could have on care
Cllr Huw Thomas said the UK Government's plans to restrict oversees recruitment of care workers is "certainly a matter of concern"
Cllr Huw Thomas said he is concerned about the UK Government's immigration plans
(Image: Cardiff Council )
The Labour leader of Cardiff Council said he is concerned about UK Government immigration plans that could affect social care in the city. Cllr Huw Thomas spoke about plans to restrict oversees recruitment of care workers at a building topping out ceremony in Grangetown on Friday, June 6.
The UK Government said its plan, which is part of the recently published immigration white paper, is aimed at stopping carers from oversees being subject to "shameful levels of abuse and exploitation".
However, unions, care agencies and councils have come out in criticism of the move which they say will exacerbate the pressure the care sector is already under. Never miss a Cardiff story and sign up to our newsletter here.
When asked how concerned he was about the plans, Cllr Thomas said: "I think it is certainly a matter of concern.
"There are migrant workers in the care sector in Cardiff doing incredibly important work in very difficult circumstances.
"We want to support them and as a council we are working with trade unions to support that work force.
Article continues below
"What that's meant over the last couple of years is that the marketplace for domiciliary care... is actually quite resilient in Cardiff.
"I think if there would be changes... that are proposed to be introduced, that would weaken the resilience of the delivery of domiciliary care.
The leader of Cardiff Council, Cllr Huw Thomas, was speaking at an event in Grangetown
(Image: Ted Peskett )
"It is a concern. We are feeding that concern into Government for their consideration."
A Cardiff Council official told councillors at a scrutiny committee meeting in February 2023 that the local authority was having issues with recruiting social care staff.
An advert posted on the council's Facebook page in May 2025 said it currently has "vacancies in a number of care roles".
In a statement published on May 11, the UK Government said some carers seeking work in the UK arrived to find themselves "saddled with debt", being treated unfairly and discovering the jobs they were promised didn't exist.
The Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA) has also come out in criticism of the plans.
WLGA spokesperson for Health and Social Care, Cllr Charlie McCoubrey, said: "Councils have long struggled to recruit social care workers, especially in rural and coastal areas.
"The Welsh Government's Real Living Wage has helped, but international recruitment has been an important part of keeping services going.
"These proposals risk shutting off a vital source of social care workers at the very moment local services are under extreme pressure.
"Councils are working hard to support people to live with dignity and independence – but this depends on having a workforce in place.
"Removing this option without a fully funded plan to grow the domestic workforce is a significant risk.
"It will take time and investment to build a resilient, sustainable care workforce.
"In the meantime, we fear the consequences will be felt by the people who rely most on support – older people, people with disabilities, and unpaid carers.
Article continues below
"Workforce planning must reflect the reality on the ground.
"Local authorities are uniquely placed to understand the needs of their communities, and their insights must shape national decisions."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Record
6 hours ago
- Daily Record
New call to scrap National Insurance deductions for older people in work
National Contributions are no longer taken from wages when someone reaches State Pension age. A new online petition is calling on the UK Government to scrap National Insurance contribution deductions for workers over the age of 60. People automatically stop seeing NICs deducted from payslips when they reach State Pension age, which is currently 66, but set to rise to 67 over 2026 and 2028. However, petition creator Mike Haynes argues making workers over 60 exempt from paying National Insurance would 'make it easier financially for older people to survive'. He added: 'We are calling for this as many over-60s are struggling to survive due to what we believe has been incompetent government spending over the past 30 years.' The 'exempt workers over 60 from National Insurance payments' petition has been posted on the UK Government's Petitions Parliament website. At 10,000 signatures of support, it would be entitled to a written response from the UK Government, most-likely The Treasury. At 100,000 signatures, it would be considered by the Petitions Committee for debate in Parliament - you can read it in full here. Understanding National Insurance The Chartered Institute of Taxation explains National Insurance is a tax on earnings paid by both employees from their wages and by employers (on top of the wages they pay out), as well as by the self-employed (from their trading profits). Technically National Insurance is a social security contribution rather than a tax, but really, it's a compulsory payment taken from you by the Government, a lot like a tax. Most people stop paying National Insurance contributions after reaching State Pension age. However, you only pay Income Tax if your taxable income - including your private pension and State Pension - is more than your tax-free allowances (the amount of income you're allowed before you pay tax). This has been frozen at £12,570 since the 2021/22 financial year, but will rise with inflation on April 6, 2028. Even if you're still working, when you reach State Pension age you usually stop paying National Insurance contributions. If you continue to pay them, you can claim back any National Insurance if you have overpaid. Full details of National Insurance contributions can be found on here. Calls to unfreeze Personal Allowance An online petition calling for the personal tax allowance to rise from £12,570 to £20,000 to help people on a low income 'get off benefits and allow pensioners a decent income' was debated last month by MPs in Parliament after more than 271,800 people across the UK have shown their support for the proposal. An update from the UK Government, related to the potential impact of increasing the Personal Allowance to £20,000, looks set to crush any hopes people may have of seeing the income threshold freeze lifted before the planned rise with inflation in April 2028. In a written response to Labour MP Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi, Treasury Minister James Murray said the UK Government 'has no plans to increase the Personal Allowance to £20,000'. Mr Murray said: 'The Government is committed to keeping taxes for working people as low as possible while ensuring fiscal responsibility and so, at our first Budget, we decided not to extend the freeze on personal tax thresholds. 'The Government has no plans to increase the Personal Allowance to £20,000.' He went on to explain how increasing the Personal Allowance to £20,000 would 'come at a significant fiscal cost of many billions of pounds per annum' adding this would 'reduce tax receipts substantially, decreasing funds available for the UK's hospitals, schools, and other essential public services that we all rely on'. The Treasury Minister continued: 'It would also undermine the work the Chancellor has done to restore fiscal responsibility and economic stability, which are critical to getting our economy growing and keeping taxes, inflation, and mortgages as low as possible. 'The Government keeps all taxes under review as part of the policy making process. The Chancellor will announce any changes to the tax system at fiscal events in the usual way.'
ITV News
7 hours ago
- ITV News
Overhaul of water regulation in Wales needed, landmark review says
The system for regulating water companies should be overhauled and Natural Resources Wales should be given more responsibilities, according to a landmark review of the sector. A wide-ranging review into the water industry has said NRW should absorb some of the responsibilities currently held by the Water Services Regulation Authority, or Ofwat, which regulates the water sector in Wales and England. Ofwat is a non-ministerial government department, which was established in 1989 when the water and sewerage industry in Wales and England was privatised, while NRW is the largest Welsh Government-sponsored body, focused on tackling the climate, nature and pollution emergencies. The final report from the Independent Water Commission, chaired by former Bank of England deputy governor Sir Jon Cunliffe, makes 88 recommendations aimed at improving the sector, urging both the Welsh and UK governments to act on growing concern over pollution, water quality and long-term investment. UK Government water minister Emma Hardy told broadcasters on Monday that the system is 'broken', but did not commit to how many of the 88 suggestions would be accepted by Whitehall. The report, published on Monday, 21 July, recommended far-reaching changes to the way the water system is regulated as it called the current landscape 'fragmented and overlapping'. For Wales, one of the key proposals includes abolishing Ofwat's role, with the regulator currently overseeing how much companies can charge for water and wastewater services, and transferring those powers to NRW. The review also recommends abolishing the Drinking Water Inspectorate, which monitors the safety of drinking water supplies. The Welsh Government backed the commission's findings, saying in a statement: "We welcome the publication of the report. This is a once in a generation opportunity to reset how Wales manages water. 'Many of the recommendations will need careful consideration and engagement to make sure we take action that is right for the people of Wales and aligns with the Well-being of Future Generations Act.' For England, the report advises removing the regulatory roles of the Environment Agency and Natural England, which monitor the sector's impact on nature, like companies illegally dumping sewage into waterways. Instead, a 'joined-up' and 'powerful' single integrated water regulator in England should be established, according to the recommendations. Ms Hardy told BBC Breakfast that UK ministers would be taking 'a proper look' at the paper 'all the way through the summer'. Asked if all the recommendations would be made law, she told the programme: 'What we'll do is we'll have a proper look at it all the way through the summer and the intention is that we're going to introduce a White Paper to spell out exactly what we're going to do on water reform.' Ms Hardy said that the UK Government would 'introduce a Water Bill next year, which will change the law', but added: 'Exactly how many out of the 88 we're going to do or not going to do, then we'll work that out in the next few months.' The current system has faced intense criticism for overseeing water companies during the years they paid out shareholders and accrued large debts while ageing infrastructure crumbled and sewage spills skyrocketed. Author Sir Jon said the review has 'tried to attack the problem from all sides' but warned that bills are going to rise by 30% over the next five years. 'There are some inescapable facts here,' he said. 'The cost of producing water and dealing with our wastewater is going up.' Sir Jon later told Times Radio that regulators have failed to work together to make the sector deliver and blamed the Government for not giving clear direction. 'It's the failure of the government to balance out all the different pressures on water,' he said, adding that firms 'need to perform better' and 'be funded to invest'. The UK Government also supported the report, with Ms Hardy saying consumers have been 'failed time and time again'. Speaking on Times Radio, she said 'root-and-branch reform' is needed to fix the crisis and told listeners the government is considering a piece of primary legislation to deliver many of the proposed changes. Ms Hardy also described trust in the water industry as at 'the lowest ever level' and criticised executives for handing out pay rises and bonuses. 'Everyone knows the system is broken,' she said. 'And they give themselves huge pay rises.' However, the minister also ruled out supporting government intervention to cap pay in the private sector. Ms Hardy said: 'I don't think as government we should say what private companies should pay. But I will say – read the room. Look how angry and furious people are."
The National
8 hours ago
- The National
Rachel Reeves set to reject introducing wealth tax
The Chancellor has come under renewed pressure to levy a new tax on the savings, investments and property of the wealthy and in recent weeks senior Labour figures have refused to rule out the prospect. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander refused to be drawn on the issue earlier this month by the BBC's Laura Kuenssberg, while Keir Starmer also declined to rule out the measure at PMQs after Tory leader Kemi Badenoch accused him of "flirting" with the idea. But Cabinet ministers have reportedly told The Times that a wealth tax is a 'non-starter', alleging wealthy people would simply leave the UK because of it. 'Wealth taxes don't work,' one cabinet minister said. 'Just look at what's happened in other countries that have introduced them. They just don't raise money, certainly not the kind of money that we're looking for.' READ MORE: Labour launch review into raising retirement age Another cabinet minister said a wealth tax was 'off the table'. They said: 'Wealthy people are mobile, they can move their assets to other more favourable jurisdictions.' Another government source did say though that Reeves is reluctant to rule out a wealth tax publicly. They said that other options, such as increasing capital gains tax, remain under consideration. Reeves is preparing to raise taxes in the Autumn Budget after the Government was forced by Labour MPs to abandon welfare cuts and partially reinstate the Winter Fuel Payment. The U-turn on both policies is expected to cost more than £6 billion. The Office for Budget Responsibility, the official forecaster, is also expected to downgrade Britain's growth prospects. Earlier this month ex-Labour leader Neil Kinnock suggested Reeves should bring in a wealth tax, alongside ex-Welsh Labour leader Mark Drakeford. Kinnock claimed it could bring in as much as £11bn for the Treasury. READ MORE: Zarah Sultana calls out 'racist' cartoon in Observer Eight nations have introduced wealth taxes but have subsequently scrapped them including Austria, Denmark, Germany, Finland, Iceland, Luxembourg, Sweden and France. However, four countries have retained wealth taxes in Norway, Spain, Switzerland and Colombia. The Chancellor has little wriggle room in the Autumn Budget because of Labour's manifesto pledge not to increase taxes on 'working people', encompassing income tax, VAT and National Insurance. Reeves was accused of breaching the pledge last year when she increased employers' National Insurance contributions to raise £24 billion.
