‘I wish the government understood’ – why carers need a real wage

There are 1.6 million care workers in the UK. For decades, they have quietly kept communities running. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, carers have remained committed to the vital work they do: supporting people to live with dignity.
Gail Grinnell is one of them. A healthcare assistant in a Dudley care home, Gail says she wouldn’t ever want to do any other job.
“If you’d have asked me eight years ago if I’d be a carer, I’d have laughed. I never saw myself doing it.