Cost of living: Fears Sussex home carers will quit over fuel prices

Ascot Care in Horsham said some carers have had to reconsider outings requiring extra fuel

Home care providers fear staff will quit because they cannot afford to fill their cars due to rising fuel costs.

Ascot Care Ltd, based in Horsham, West Sussex, said some staff were considering work in residential care homes to avoid travelling costs.

Workers say mileage pay rates have not risen in line with fuel costs.

Ascot Care manager Lagin Riecker said: "Some would prefer to work in care homes because they won't have to incur these new heightened fuel costs.

"As if the retention [of care staff] wasn't difficult enough."

Mr Riecker added that the situation was already impacting clients, as carers were being forced to reconsider outings.

Employers can choose whether to give workers a mileage reimbursement for work travel, and rates offered can vary.

HMRC states employees can get 45p per mile tax-free, up to 10,000 miles a year - but those rates haven't changed since 2011.

Suzanne Hartfield said the fuel price increase is "hitting everyone really hard" at Good Oaks Home Care in Burgess Hill

Suzanne Hartfield, who manages Good Oaks Home Care in Burgess Hill, West Sussex, said the fuel price increase was "hitting everyone really hard".

She said: "It's just had a massive impact on everything.

"We have started looking at our rounds and trying to keep our carers a lot closer to home, but obviously when there is sickness we're then having to send carers a lot further out of their region and we cover from Hurstpierpoint right the way through to East Grinstead."

Samantha Zahra-Lee, a domiciliary carer in Horsham, said costs for filling her car had risen from £50 to £70 and was having a "knock-on effect" on other areas of life.

She said: "It's now costing me £70 to fill my car and it's not just the fuel, it's the servicing of the car and you have to take that into consideration because with the increase in fuel that takes away from my budget in servicing my car."

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