GMB Union has called for a radical overhaul of the care system after a study revealed almost 5,000 people in Yorkshire and Humber are trapped in social care debt.
The figures, discussed at GMB’s Annual Congress in Brighton this week, amount to a quarter of all those who pay for their social care.
GMB Union submitted Freedom of Information requests to every local authority in Yorkshire with responsibility for social care.
The group said figures are likely to be higher after some authorities didn't respond.
More than 2,300 people are facing debt management proceedings as a result of their social care debt, with 28 even facing legal action.
GMB, the union for care workers, has helped launch an All Party Parliamentary Group on social care to look at the care system, funding and state of staffing in the sector.
The union also entered into an agreement with care provider HC-One last summer to launch Careforce, a dedicated campaign to look at professionalisation, skills and the prestige of the care sector.
Rachel Harrison, GMB national officer, said: “The way we fund our care system needs a radical overhaul - at the same time we need support, progression and pay structures to inspire new carers and retain staff."
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