As a result, Provider Unite members are already unable to fill critical roles. Without urgent
intervention, our sector could face up to 500,000 vacancies by the end of the transitional
period in 2028, placing unprecedented strain on services and the communities we
support.
2. Fiscal contribution and integration
Social care adds £77 billion to the UK economy annually and sustains 1.6 million jobs. In
fact, every £1 invested our sector generates up to £2.35 in wider economic benefit, reduces
hospital demand, and strengthens communities.
Far from being a fiscal burden, care and support workers are an economic multiplier and
a stabilising force in our national healthcare infrastructure.
3. Unpaid carers and community pressure
Immigration reforms that disrupt the paid social care and support workforce will
inevitably increase reliance on unpaid carers, driving deeper social inequalities and
weakening the UK’s economic stability.
Around 600 people leave paid employment every day to care for a loved one.
If the policy proposal for overseas care workers is not reduced, even more people will be
forced to give up their jobs to meet growing care needs. This will intensify pressures on
households, employers, and the wider economy, compounding the challenges already
faced across the sector.
4. Ethical and strategic considerations
The policy asserts that settlement must be ‘earned’ through contribution and integration.
While Providers Unite agrees that integration is vital, care and support workers already
demonstrate this daily through their service to the most vulnerable in society.
Extending the earned settlement period from 5 years to 15 years sends a damaging
signal to the very people our communities depends on. It suggests that, when it comes
to caring for its citizens, our government places a lower value on social care
contributions than on those of other skilled economic migrants. This not only
undermines the dignity of our workforce but also implicitly devalues the people who
draw on care, signalling that their needs, and the work required to meet them, are
considered less important. This approach weakens recruitment and retention, and risks
destabilising the social care system at precisely the moment when its role is more vital
than ever.
We respectfully urge the Home Office to:
1. Withdraw the proposed 15-year settlement requirement for Health and Care visa
holders, which risks driving half a million vacancies in social care.
2. Formally recognise the unique contribution of care and support workers by
maintaining a shorter, fairer pathway to settlement.
3. Align immigration policy with the government’s stated commitment to stabilising
the social care sector.
Providers Unite stands ready to engage constructively in the consultation process. We
believe that a rebalanced approach will better serve both our sector and the nation.
Yours sincerely
