Existing care workers could be exempt from UK’s tough new immigration rules

Ghanaian nurse Evans Sarbeng with resident Phyllis Padham at St Cecilia’s nursing home in Scarborough. Photograph: Gary Calton/The Observer View image in fullscreen Ghanaian nurse Evans Sarbeng with resident Phyllis Padham at St Cecilia’s nursing home in Scarborough. Photograph: Gary Calton/The Observer Existing care workers could be exempt from UK’s tough new immigration rules Exclusive: Andy Burnham thought to be considering waiving stricter right to remain rules for people already working in the sector Hundreds of thousands of care workers could be exempted from the home secretary’s plans to toughen up the immigration system under proposals being considered by Andy Burnham as he looks for ways to relieve pressure on the social care sector. The prime minister will give a speech next week spelling out his determination to start creating a National Care Service before the next general election as he looks to accelerate the process set up by his predecessor, Keir Starmer. In a highly personal speech, Burnham will talk about his experience of the care system through his father, Roy, who has Alzheimer’s, and announce that he is bringing forward Louise Casey’s review into the sector , which was due to conclude in 2028. He is now also considering granting widespread exemptions from Shabana Mahmood’s plans to make it harder for people to achieve settled status in the UK. The measure is not likely to be included in next week’s speech but could come later in the year once the Home Office has considered responses to a public consultation on the issue. One person briefed on the plans said: “Andy is determined to do something about the social care system, and quickly. This is highly personal for him, and he will talk about why he wants to push some of it through before the election, even if that comes at a political price.” Burnham has put reform of the social care system near the top of his list of priorities, having tried and failed to do so as health secretary more than 15 years ago. He told broadcasters this week: “I think it’s about being prepared to grasp the nettle. I’ve got personal experience of the system. My dad has Alzheimer’s, and you see what the staff have to put up with. It’s not their fault. The system’s broken.” He added: “You can’t leave social care like this. And this is part of my criticism of Westminster. It has flinched over the years from these big decisions.” The prime minister has previously argued for replacing inheritance tax with a 10% levy on all estates once a person dies to pay directly for a universal care system, but those proposals were scrapped after the Conservatives labelled them a “death tax”. People in England get state-funded care if they have less than £23,250 in assets, but those with more must pay the entire cost themselves. Meanwhile, social care providers say they are financially stretched and increasingly unable to provide the services for which they have been contracted given the low value of their contracts w