Virendra Sharma MP Member of Parliament for Ealing, Southall House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA Tel: 020 8571 1003 Email: [email protected] Rt Hon Matt Hancock MP Secretary of State Department for Health and Social Care

12th June 2020 Dear Matt, Re: Pay rise for Social Care workers

We believe that social care workers have shown tremendous courage and determination in their duties during the coronavirus public health emergency, despite being poorly paid relative to their value to society.

We believe that this crisis offers us a remarkable opportunity to reform our fragmented social care system, with the British public overwhelmingly supportive of a pay rise and improved working conditions for those in social care.

Social care staff have been underpaid and undervalued for far too long. According to an analysis by the TUC, one in four earn less than £10 an hour, and the average employee earns just £16,400 per annum.

These workers have gone above and beyond in their efforts to look after those in their care and have been extremely brave in the face of this hideous virus. Health and social care staff have been twice as likely to die of Covid-19, and more than 300 frontline staff have tragically lost their lives during this epidemic.

We urge you to recognise their sacrifice and provide greater stability and sustainability to the Social Care system, by increasing their pay to at least the living wage. We call on you to provide additional death in service and sick pay benefits, in light of their heightened vulnerability to this awful disease. We also believe that care workers should be reimbursed for their travel in between appointments, and should no longer be referred to as low skilled.

During this crisis, social care workers have shown just how essential they are to our society. We urge you to recognise their immense effort and give them the pay rise they deserve.

We look forward to your response.

Constituency Office: 112A The Green, Southall, UB2 4BQ, 020 8571 1003 and [email protected] Website: www.virendrasharma.com Best wishes,

Virendra Sharma MP And colleagues

Rushanara Ali MP MP Tahir Ali MP Christine Jardine MP MP Dame Diana Johnson DBE MP Apsana Begum MP MP Richard Burgon MP MP MP Grahame Morris MP Sarah Champion MP Sarah Olney MP Daisy Cooper MP Kate Osborne MP Jon Cruddas MP Dr Daniel Poulter MP Allan Dorans MP Andy Slaughter MP MP Christopher Stephens MP Jack Dromey MP Jamie Stone MP Rosie Duffield MP MP Tim Farron MP Zarah Sultana MP Paul Girvan MP Claudia Webbe MP Lilian Greenwood MP Dr Philippa Whitford MP Claire Hanna MP MP Wera Hobhouse MP Mohammad Yasin MP Rt Hon Dame Margaret Hodge MP

Constituency Office: 112A The Green, Southall, UB2 4BQ, 020 8571 1003 and [email protected] Website: www.virendrasharma.com