Scotland's care workers to get Christmas gift of £500 as 'Thank you'

Scotland’s adult social care workers as well as NHS staff are to receive a one-off Christmas gift of £500 from the Scottish government as a ‘heartfelt thank you’ for their sacrifices during the pandemic.

The bonus will be paid before Christmas to all full-time staff with a "proportional share" being paid to part-time staff.

The £500 will be made to all NHS and social care workers employed since 17 March 2020 - including staff who have had to shield or who have since retired.

Amounting to £180 million worth of thank you’s - over 300,000 staff will benefit from the bonus, including nurses, home care workers, care home staff and hospice staff.

Care workers ‘at the sharpest end of the COVID trauma’

Speaking at the Scottish National Party’s annual conference yesterday, Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said the money will be paid to workers "for their extraordinary service in this toughest of years".

“The money will be paid in this financial year and it will be separate from any negotiations about pay for the longer term. There are no strings attached.

"Of course, a payment like this can never come close to expressing our full admiration for those who have cared for us so heroically.

"But to our health and care workers it is a demonstration of what we collectively owe you – and a heartfelt thank you for the sacrifices you have made."

She added: “Those who have worked in our hospitals and care homes – caring for the sick and dying at the sharpest end of the COVID trauma – deserve recognition now.”

PM Boris Johnson urged ‘not to take away’ money as tax

Ms Sturgeon also urged Prime Minister Boris Johnson not to take of any of the care workers’ money back in tax.

“Because we don’t control the full tax and benefit system, we don’t have the power to make this payment tax free.

“But, Prime Minister, you do. So I am asking you this – please allow our health and care heroes to keep every penny of Scotland’s thank you to them. Do not take any of it away in tax.”

The HM Treasury has said the income tax on the £500 payments is paid to Scotland, not Westminster.

A spokesperson for the HM Treasury said “The Scottish government has the powers and funding to cover the tax owed on the payment if it wishes."