Lee Peart 04 April 2025

Care leaders call for NIC bridging fund

Care leaders call for NIC bridging fund  image
Image: Laurence Berger / Shutterstock.com.

Care leaders have called for the creation of a ‘bridging’ fund to mitigate the impact of the rise in National Insurance Contributions (NICs) announced in the Autumn Budget.

The call came in an open letter to the chancellor from the National Care Forum and leading care home operator Methodist Homes (MHA).

The letter cited Nuffield Trust research showing the NICs and the National Minimum Wage rises will cost England’s 18,000 social care providers £2.8bn, well above the £880m allocated in the local government finance settlement.

To offset this impact, MHA proposed the creation of a ‘bridging’ fund to help social care providers prepare for the fair pay agreement for care workers.

The letter said this fund should be ‘at least equivalent’ to the sector’s losses from the changes to NICs, which come into effect on 6 April.

The leaders suggested the bridging fund could be administered direct to care providers or via local authorities as ‘ring-fenced’ funding, based on numbers of employees at each care provider.

They stated: ‘Without this bridging fund, the sector risks contracting, jeopardising care and support for millions of people, and moving further away from its ability to deliver on the fair pay ambition.

‘On behalf of the people with learning disabilities, autistic people and older people our members support, and the millions of others supported by the wider sector, we sincerely hope you will implement this much needed emergency measure ahead of 6 April.’

Lee Peart is editor of Hemming Group’s Healthcare Management magazine.

The £37,000 SEND Problem image

The £37,000 SEND Problem

Natalie Kenneison, COO at Imosphere, argues that the real SEND funding crisis isn’t just about budgets - it’s about the systems behind the decisions.
SIGN UP
For your free daily news bulletin
Highways jobs

Activites Assistants (CASUAL)

Durham County Council
£24,404 (12.65 p.a. hour) - £25,183 (£13.05 p.a. hour)
This is an exciting opportunity for Casual Activities Assistants to join our Leisure and Sport Service.   Leisure Centres are
Recuriter: Durham County Council

Pension Administration Officer

Durham County Council
£24,404 to £25,183 p.a. (Grade 3) Pay award pending
A vacancy has arisen within Pension Services for an Administration Officer to provide admin and data support to the pensions team and members of the L Durham
Recuriter: Durham County Council

County Attendance Officer

Oxfordshire County Council
£37035 - £39513
We are seeking to recruit to the role of County Attendance Officer on a permanent basis to work predominately across the North or the South of the county. The team works across the whole of Oxfordshire so flexibility to work in other areas is also require County Hall, Oxford
Recuriter: Oxfordshire County Council

Software Engineer Starter

West Northamptonshire Council
£26914
We're looking for an exceptional human to join our digital team to learn the skills and put them into practice, designing, developing and maintaining websites, mobile apps & AI. You'll join us on our journey as we create better end-to-end services for our Northampton
Recuriter: West Northamptonshire Council

Executive Director - Growth, Enterprise and Environment

Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council
£139,111.00 (pay award pending)
This is a chance to make a significant difference to the lives of families across our borough – and to seriously improve your quality of life. Redcar and Cleveland House, Kirkleatham Street, Redcar, TS10 1RT
Recuriter: Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council
Linkedin Banner