Social care leaders say Britain will miss out on ‘desperately needed’ care workers after Brexit, because the Migration Advisory Committee’s (MAC) recommendation to government to lower the salary threshold for non-British workers fails to go far enough.

In a report, the committee has recommended the government reduce by £4,400 the salary threshold for skilled workers taking a job in Britain, after the UK leaves the European Union.

After Brexit, the right under freedom of movement rules for EU nationals to live and work in Britain goes. For people arriving in Britain with a job offer, MAC recommends cutting the general minimum salary requirement from £30,000 to £25,600.

While MAC argues the threshold will stop the undercutting of the labour market, care leaders have voiced their concerns that the workforce shortages in social care will only get worse.

Simon Bottery, senior fellow at The King’s Fund, said: “One in six staff working in adult social care in England have a non-British nationality. These workers are crucial for the viability of social care services which are struggling to cope with approximately 122,000 vacancies at any one time.

“By prioritising higher-paid workers, the Migration Advisory Committee recommendations for a points-based visa system would effectively shut the door to thousands of people who are desperately needed to shore up the social care workforce.

“In doing so, the Committee has batted the social care staffing problem back to government, challenging the government to improve care worker pay and conditions so more home-grown staff are attracted to the roles. However, the immediate reality is that the average hourly pay for care workers is below the rate paid in most supermarkets.”