Almost a third of social care workers say they can no longer afford to live on their salaries.
A shock poll lays bare the impact of the cost of living crisis on the sector, with one in seven carers having to skip at least one meal a day.
The YouGov survey of 1,000 carers revealed 29% report being no longer able to live on what they earn, which, in many cases, is the minimum wage.
The Mirror has launched the Fair Care for All campaign to demand proper pay and training.
The damning poll shows one in 12 carers have stopped driving to see patients due to soaring fuel prices.
Caroline Abrahams, director at the charity Age UK, said: “Older people often tell us how grateful they are
for the support they receive from care staff and how important they are. For many they are lifesavers.
“We should never have reached a position where care workers can no longer afford to eat or drive a car to see their clients. It is wrong that you can earn more working in a supermarket than providing vital care.”
The crisis is hitting patients as well with a quarter of carers saying their clients have stopped turning the heating on. And 49% say they have had at least one patient whose only regular social contact is them.
With 165,000 vacancies in England already, a worrying 27% of workers said they will leave the sector in the next year.
The study was commissioned by leading provider of carers and nurses Newcross Healthcare.
CEO Stephen Pattrick said: “Working in the care sector, we see the impact of this crisis every day.
“Resourcing is fundamental to this crisis and if we’re going to alleviate that we need to make sure that care workers are offered fair pay, proper training and education, flexibility, wellbeing and mental health support and career progression.”
Nurse Michelle Gorringe said: “When there is understaffing, that ability to take time and give top quality care is massively reduced.”
But a Government spokeswoman pointed to its Energy Price Guarantee and tax cuts. She added: “On top of this we’re providing billions to reform adult social care.
“And Our Plan for Patients is providing £500million of extra funding available to speed up the safe discharge of patients from hospital and to recruit and retain more care workers.”
