Care workers who look after vulnerable adults throughout the night will not be paid the new living wage that comes into effect this month, according to a letter obtained by local MSP Jackie Baillie.

A letter sent by the Scottish Government’s Director of Health and Social Care Integration confirms that sleepover hours are not required to be paid at the £8.25-an-hour rate.

The SNP 2016 manifesto promised to ‘extend payment of the living wage – ensuring that all social care workers receive the living wage by October 2016’.

Public sector union Unison has also warned that some providers have not yet committed to the living wage.

Jackie said:

“All care staff were supposed to receive a pay rise from the start of this month but many workers will be left waiting because the SNP has completely botched the implementation of the living wage.

“Labour warned the SNP Government from the start that a living wage for care workers had to be properly funded. Now the SNP has come clean at the eleventh hour and admitted that their so-called living wage need not apply for staff working overnight – often caring for the most vulnerable people with complex needs.

“A year ago the Tories were rightly criticised for announcing a so called living wage that only applied to over 25s – now the Nationalists have introduced a living wage for care workers that doesn’t apply to all care workers. What a sham