Cost of living: Hereford care firm increases wages by 9%

A survey revealed that 95% of care workers had expressed concerns over the cost of living

A home care firm has increased wages by 9% to help staff tackle the rising cost of living.

Home Instead, in Hereford, provides care services in people's own home and said the increase would mean staff receive at least £11.50 an hour.

UK inflation reached a 40-year high of 9% in the 12 months to April, and is expected to rise further.

Andrew Wood, the director of Home Instead, said the firm and its staff were living in "exceptional times" of inflation.

A survey by industry body Homecare Association revealed 95% of workers had expressed concerns to their employers about the rising cost of living.

Recruitment has also been a problem for many firms since the pandemic started.

Mr Wood said one of the reasons for the challenges in recruitment was that the demand for care had increased.

The vacancy rate for registered nurses in adult social care reached 18.5% in April, according to figures from Skills for Care.