Petrol prices causing problems for carers in Warwickshire

While carers who use their own vehicles are entitled to claim money back, care operators said they are facing strain due to rising prices

Care providers say rising fuel prices are exacerbating staff shortages.

Carers who use their own vehicles for work are entitled to claim back 45p a mile tax free from their company for the first 10,000 miles they drive in a year, after which it falls to 25p.

But providers said they have to wait weeks for reimbursement which is forcing people out of the industry.

It comes as the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services said over 500,000 adults need social care.

Zoe Mayhew, from Warwickshire County Council, told a meeting of the adult social care and health overview and scrutiny committee that the current vacancy rate for care workers since March 2021 was 10.3 per cent.

"We are now getting feedback, particularly from domiciliary care providers, saying they are having a number of carers leave the service due to fuel costs," she said.

"We have 21 carers who have left, saying that if they move into residential or nursing care then it's much cheaper for them because they don't need to run a car."

Stephen Cooper, from Casa Care Ltd which is based in Leamington Spa, said: "If [carers] are driving 50 miles a day then their costs have significantly increased.

"I was looking up last night and petrol prices have increased 50 per cent in the last 10 months."

He said this was "another nail in the coffin of being able to retain and recruit good staff".

Mr Cooper said his business operates with pool cars, but does not have enough funding to provide one for all staff members.

Ms Mayhew said the impact was already having an impact in Warwickshire, which is a largely rural county.

"We are looking at how we can commission differently in terms of making provision much more localised," she said.