A care home worker in Salford has claimed she was hospitalised due to a “panic attack” over unpaid wages. Care assistant Titilope Erinfolami, 30, works at Laburnum Court Care Home in Broughton, Salford, which is due to close. She claims she is owed nearly £600 from her employer and is behind on bills, having to borrow money to pay for her bus ticket to work. The last update she received from the company was on February 7, she said. After being told that there was nothing that could be done to help get her wages, she suffered a panic attack and ended up in Fairfield General Hospital on January 31, she claims. Workers at the care home, which is owned by Belz Care Limited, have been holding protests about how they have been treated after a number of staff claimed to have been underpaid. Last month, the company told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) that there were “issues with payroll” but that any “shortfalls were paid”. That time, Salford council stepped in to help pay the company pay its workers their salaries. Ms Erinfolami told the LDRS: “My payment is missing 55 hours which is almost £600, which has set me back a lot on my bills. We’ve not been paid since January after the last payment we got, our accrued holidays, nothing. “The council paid us last time to safeguard the residents but now all the residents are out and the council are not willing to pay us now, they want us to claim from the government which could take weeks. “Last week I spoke to the company about getting my owed hours, my £600 because I’m so behind on my bills. They just said sorry they could do nothing. That sent me into an anxiety attack, I was at Fairfield General Hospital all through midnight, it was a really horrible experience. “Everyone’s mental health is really very low now, when you call someone for support we’re just crying and breaking down.” Ms Erinfolami, who is from Nigeria, will have 60 days to find a new job once her employment ends at Laburnum Court. She said she is worried other companies may not be willing to sponsor her visa and it could mean she has to leave the country. A number of staff members at Laburnum Court Care Home have told the LDRS that they have job offers at other care homes, but can’t accept them in fear of losing their redundancy payments. They said they are worried that if Belz Care Limited folds, they won’t get what they believe they are owed. Lyndsey Wood, 36, has been a care assistant at Laburnum Court Care Home for nearly three years. She said: “We’re waiting for our wages, notice period, holiday pay, a month’s wage that was still owed. “I’ve got a job offer, but I can’t start until this place goes into liquidation or I’m at risk of losing my redundancy pay and everything else. “It’s stopping me from starting more work, we’re still in limbo and we don’t know what to do. I’ve got two kids, I can’t afford not to have any money, and I can’t afford to not start work.” Salford City Unison and members of Salford council have been trying to support the workers in getting their salaries. Mayor of Salford Paul Dennett attended a protest in January to support staff at the care home. He said: “We know this is a huge challenge for workers who are not at any fault in this situation. “We encourage individuals to contact the council’s Salford Assist for short-term crisis help and our Welfare Rights and Debt Advice service for assistance beyond any short-term crisis support they may need. “Colleagues within the City Council and Mayoral Team are aware of this exceptionally unfortunate situation and are ready to help if required. “We understand that insolvency practitioners have now been appointed and that employees have been informed of this and next-steps. “This comes with a legal claims process for monies and pension contributions owed and Salford City Council will remain in close contact with the trade union throughout this process.” The Mayor added that he would have liked to offer more financial support to the workers but the council was told it isn’t an option because it is not their employer. Labour Councillor Mishal Saeed, the executive support member for social care and mental health at Salford council, has supported staff along with other colleagues. She said: “I am very disappointed with the way Belz Care Ltd has acted, in regards to the financial mismanagement and incompetency that has led to their liquidation. “I am also frustrated with their total disregard for their hardworking employees, our care workers who provide essential support for our vulnerable residents, many of whom were receiving end of life care, it is absolutely disgraceful the way they have been treated. “We urge Belz Care Ltd to follow the appropriate procedures to ensure staff get redundancy pay and holiday pay. It’s the least they can do.” Steve North, from Salford City Unison, said the way staff had been treated by the company was a “scandal”. He added: “The shocking treatment of the workers at Laburnum Court continues to get worse. Not satisfied with failing to pay their staff last month, it appears the company now intends to enter into liquidation, which would almost certainly mean failing to pay them for wages owed, outstanding holiday pay, outstanding notice pay and their redundancy entitlements. “It now looks as though the public purse will need to be used again – either through the council, HMRC or both – to ensure these low-paid workers can pay their bills and look after their families.” Residents in the care home have all been moved to other sites as part of the closure, and the website for Laburnum Court has been deactivated. The care home’s listing on the Care Quality Commission website has also been archived. Laburnum Court Care Home and Belz Care Limited were contacted for comment.
