A £500 bonus given to carers in Wales should also be handed to unpaid cares and those not on the care register, a Gwent MS (Member of the Senedd) has said.

More than 64,600 care home workers and domiciliary care workers are currently eligible for the bonus, however, South Wales East MS Delyth Jewell argued there are thousands of unpaid carers who do not meet the requirements.

She said: “Unpaid carers in Wales and those not on the care register must be given parity of recognition because the care they provide is just as selfless, and just as invaluable, as that provided by paid carers and those on the register.

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“Scotland is taking steps to provide that parity of recognition – that should be mirrored here in Wales.

“Cleaners and the catering staff at care homes put their own safety at risk every day they go to work. They deserve to be treated as equal members of the team of people who run care homes, and should be included in the Senedd’s bonus payment scheme.

“A one off payment is the least we can do to show care workers we value them, but in the medium term we must look again at how we treat and pay care staff.”

A Welsh Government spokeswoman said: “Although unpaid carers are not eligible for the £500 payment, we are working closely with carers and their representatives to ensure they get the support and recognition they deserve.

“We have established a new £24 million Third Sector Covid-19 Response Fund, which includes services supporting unpaid carers.

“We have also allocated £40 million of extra funding to local authorities for extra costs incurred in adult services due to the Covid-19 pandemic.”