Reform-led council calls for more social care visas

A Reform UK-led council has called on the government to reconsider its plans to end health and social care visas for overseas workers.

Kent County Council (KCC) leader Linden Kemkaran has written to Home Secretary Yvette Cooper and Minister for Care Stephen Kinnock to raise "grave concerns" about the proposals in the new Immigration Bill.

Kemkaran said the decision could "leave providers on a cliff edge".

A government spokesperson said its decision to close the route to overseas recruitment stemmed from the abuse and exploitation of workers.

The rules regarding the Social Care Worker Visa route to overseas recruitment are to change on 22 July, requiring firms to hire British nationals or extend visas of overseas workers already in the country.

In the letter, Kemkaran and KCC cabinet member for adult social care Diane Morton said the authority and care providers had not received formal notification of the changes.

"Across the contracts for the council's Adult Social Care and Health services, there are approximately 150 providers we are aware of who have sponsorship licences, which is equal to 20-25% of our social care workforce being from overseas," it said.

"Paired with the changes announced in the Autumn Budget in 2024 that resulted in changes to employer National Insurance contributions from April 2025, this is totally unsustainable, and the risk is that many care workers at this level will go home and leave providers on a cliff edge."

A government spokesperson said: "The expansion of the Health and Care route to include care workers has led to significant concerns over abuse and exploitation of workers from overseas.

"We have taken steps to address these concerns, but the evidence has shown that more needed to be done, which is why we are closing the route to overseas recruitment."

They added that the government had also provided a funding boost of up to £3.7bn to support social care authorities in 2025-26.

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