# Introduce a fair pay agreement for care workers

> “We will introduce the first fair pay agreement in adult social care, backed by half a billion pounds.”
>
> — Alison McGovern, Minister for Social Care and Mental Health; Commons statement, 15 October 2026

- **Status:** Promised
- **Status ladder:** Promised → In plan → Legislated → Funded → Delivering → Delivered
- **Policy area:** [Social protection](https://ledgergov.uk/promises/area/social-protection)
- **Speaker:** [Alison McGovern](https://ledgergov.uk/actor/alison-mcgovern), Minister for Social Care and Mental Health
- **Made on:** 15 October 2026
- **Where:** Commons statement
- **Cost a year:** No costing published
- **Who it affects:** Care workers in adult social care
- **When:** Not stated
- **Paid for by:** Not stated when it was announced
- **Quote source:** https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2026-10-15/debates/971754D8-183E-459F-8404-390D4E0A0C0E/NationalCareService (checked word for word at its source on 18 October 2026; Open Parliament Licence v3.0)
- **Last updated:** 19 October 2026
- **Card:** https://ledgergov.uk/promise/uk-care-fair-pay-agreement-2026

## Where it stands

Made in the Minister for Social Care and Mental Health's statement on the national care service. She said the agreement will put care workers "under the protective umbrella of collective bargaining", and later in the debate that the government is "cracking on" with it. She gave no date and did not say over what period the half a billion pounds is spent. The card moves when the agreement is made or a date is set.

## Timeline

- 15 October 2026, Promised: The Minister for Social Care and Mental Health tells the Commons the government will introduce the first fair pay agreement in adult social care, backed by half a billion pounds

## About the cost

Half a billion pounds, with no period given, so no yearly figure is shown.

## Sources

- [Hansard, House of Commons, 15 Oct 2026: National Care Service (Minister for Social Care and Mental Health's statement)](https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2026-10-15/debates/971754D8-183E-459F-8404-390D4E0A0C0E/NationalCareService)

## Checks

- Verified by Pavel Guzhikov, checked by AI Journalist; approved on 19 October 2026.
- Checked by AI Journalist (automated) on 18 October 2026.

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