Nearly seven months after health and social care workers in Scotland were promised a £500 payment to thank them for their efforts during the pandemic, many social care staff are still waiting for their money or any sign of when they might receive it.

At the SNP’s autumn conference last year Nicola Sturgeon said the bonus was in recognition of the “heroic” efforts of staff in the face of covid-19.

But now several months on after another wave of the virus, trade union UNISON Scotland says frustrations from its members who are yet to receive the payment are “understandably high”.

“The £500 payment has been very badly implemented”, UNISON’s Head of Community Deborah Clarke told healthandcare.scot. She says NHS employees received their payments in February, while local authority staff are expecting theirs at the end of this month or next.

“Our members are very angry and quite right too.”

Charities, not for profit, voluntary and private sector workers – who provide the majority of social care in Scotland – have been told they will be paid anytime between April and July, Ms Clarke added, although there is “nothing confirmed” yet.

Highland care home owner Libby Eavis explained that although the deadline has passed for care staff to apply for the bonus, an external contractor working on behalf of the government still needs to pay local authorities and NHS boards - depending on the health and social care partnership model of the region. Care providers will then have to apply to their local authority or health board for the funding before care staff can be paid, and no date has been given for when that will happen, says Ms Eavis.

Scottish Care has previously said the announcement about the payment was made without any process in place to roll it out to all of Scotland’s social care workers.

The independent sector representative body told healthandcare.scot: “The monies for the £500 are in the process of being released by Scottish local authorities.

“It is clear that some authorities have already expedited these payments, allowing providers to pay staff their bonus.

“However, disappointingly there are a number of local authorities who have not yet passed on these payments, therefore, preventing workers from being paid. We are working with partners to expedite this as a matter of urgency.”

All adult social care employees, personal assistants, social care staff working in children’s residential services and social workers employed since the 17^th March 2020 were supposed to receive the payment, which the government said would be made before the end of the financial year in March 2021.

The Scottish government has come under further criticism over the payment because it will still be subject to tax and could impact the benefits some staff rely on.

Scottish government ministers have said the responsibility for whether or not the bonus is taxed lies with the UK government and that the onus is on Boris Johnson’s administration to make it tax-free.

The Welsh government meanwhile has said it will cover tax and National Insurance on a £500 thank you payment to its health and care staff.

Read more: Analysis: The politics of the pay rise; Wales to hand out tax-free covid bonus; Criticism as social care pay rise half that of NHS; Concerns £500 ‘thank you’ bonus will hit benefits

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