A new policy will see millions of social care workers across the UK given annual pay increases modelled on the system used in the NHS, according to reports. The move is intended to standardise and improve pay for care staff, a workforce that has long faced criticism over low wages and high turnover, but it risks provoking opposition from employers or unions concerned about funding and implementation.

The article's full details on funding, timing and scope were not available in the text provided, but the change would bring social care pay in line with the annual review process long used for NHS staff. Critics reportedly warn that imposing NHS-style pay rises across the social care sector could trigger strikes or industrial disputes, given concerns over how such rises would be funded amid pressures on local authority and care provider budgets.