CARE workers claim they are set to miss out on up to £2,000 per year after a charity offering support services across East Lancashire scrapped ‘sleep-in’ payments.

But Alternative Futures, which provides care staff in all six local boroughs, has laid the blame at the door of councils and central government.

The AF Group (AFG) says it has been subsiding the payouts to the tune of £8million over the past five years.

Public services union Unison says the decision has left some of the hardest-hit workers in the care industry, who look after vulnerable people overnight, even worse off.

Affected workers have staged a demonstration in Burnley - and won the support of East Lancashire MP and Shadow Health Minister Julie Cooper.

Union chiefs say AFG’s move involves reducing sleep-in top-up payments by £15 each shift.

A spokesman added: “Some staff work three of these shifts each week and stand to lose more than £2,000 a year that they just cannot afford.

Mrs Cooper, the Burnley MP, said: “I fully support Unison and the care workers they represent in their fight for full and proper pay for overnight or ‘sleep-in shifts’.

“Dedicated workers, looking after some of our most vulnerable members of society, deserve far more respect than they are presently being shown.”

Fifty people took part in a protest, staged by Unison, in Burnley’s Peace Garden.

Strike action was taken by frustrated staff last weekend.

But AFG insisted less than 10 per cent of the workforce took part.

An AFG spokesman said their primary concern was vulnerable people in their care and steps had been taken to ensure they were not placed at risk, due to the stoppage.

He also criticised Unison for taking the action, claiming their negotiators refused to acknowledge progress which had been made in their discussions on the matter, forcing the talks to break down.

The spokesman added: “The funding we receive from local councils for sleep-in care does not cover the costs to pay our support staff national minimum wage.

“For the last four years the charity has subsidised this shortfall to the tune of £8.1m but this is now no longer sustainable.

“Social care funding is in crisis and we urge the Government to address the issue urgently so that providers receive the appropriate funding to pay our hard-working, dedicated support staff a fair and proper wage for the excellent care they deliver.”

The government has called on companies to ensure care workers are “paid a fair wage for the important work they do”.