Specialist care provider PJ Care is introducing a winter fuel bonus to help staff manage the cost-of-living crisis.

The Milton-Keynes based company, which runs three centres caring for adults with progressive neurological conditions and acquired brain injuries, is making two payments over the winter of £200 to any member of staff earning £15 per hour or less. PJ Care is also paying the tax on these payments so that each individual will receive the full amount towards their utility bills.

As a Living Wage employer PJ Care is also looking at ways to increase the basic rate of pay for its almost 600-strong workforce in Milton Keynes and Peterborough.

This includes introducing a new Care Practitioner role, which will increase the skills of a number of care staff and take their hourly rate to £15.

In the meantime, managers at the company have introduced a wage drawn-down app and invited staff to sell back a week’s annual leave to help them cope with rising costs.

“We very much want to pay our staff more but that takes time and involves up-skilling the team so we can work more efficiently,” said chairman, Neil Russell.  

“The wage draw-down app will help if the washing machine breaks or the car needs urgent repairs.  If that happens at the end of the month, we know that sometimes the money just isn’t there.  We have safeguards in place to prevent over-use of the system but we hope this will take away some of the stresses that unexpected events can bring.”

For the second consecutive year, PJ Care is also running a prize draw giving staff the chance to win a brand new car.