Scottish care workers are to receive £12 an hour as part of a new government programme to reduce poverty and deliver growth.  

Under the Programme for Government for 2023-24 announced by First Minister Humza Yousaf all workers in direct care roles will receive at least £12 an hour from April 2024.

Yousaf said: “The Scottish government will always be on the side of the people we serve. Scotland is – certainly should be – a land of opportunity, but I know it doesn’t always feel like that to people bearing the brunt of the UK government cost-of-living crisis, to families living in the poverty, to struggling businesses, to those who still face consequences of discrimination and inequality. I get that.

“This Programme is an opportunity to be explicit about the driving mission of this government. So let me make it abundantly clear, we are a government who will maximise every lever at our disposal to tackle the scourge of poverty in our country.”

Renaissance Care founder Robert Kilgour said he wholeheartedly agreed with £12 minimum pay for all care workers but questioned where the government would come up with the money to fund the move.

Kilgour told Caring Times: “Renaissance Care is a private company that is providing in the main a public service with 67% local authority clients (with no top ups allowed under the National Care Home Contract).”

The care leader said the announcement was “probably another empty ‘podium promise’”, adding: “Let’s see some real front line delivery from the Scottish government on this important issue – our amazing and hardworking care staff deserve better pay.”

Donald Mackaskill, chief executive of Scottish Care, tweeted: “After considered reflection & analysis, the positive gloss of the announcement of £12 an hour to social care frontline staff has evaporated. Why should social care staff wait till next April for a devalued pay increase? Second class again?”