NEW plans to revamp social care in Wales announced this week have been branded “disingenuous” by Plaid Cymru.

Earlier this week the Welsh Government’s health minster Mark Drakeford unveiled a series of plans to revamp the sector, including limiting the use of zero-hour contacts and ensuring all domiciliary workers are paid the national minimum wage.

But the plans have been branded “disingenuous” by Plaid Cymru shadow health minister Elin Jones, who questioned why the Welsh Government had not made the move earlier.

“(The Welsh Government) missed its golden opportunity to outlaw the use of zero hour contracts in the social care sector when it voted against Plaid Cymru’s attempts to introduce a ban through the Social Care Bill last November,” she said.

“Zero hour contracts are often exploitative.

“They offer very few employment rights to workers, and no guarantee of income from week to week.

“Plaid Cymru has tried on numerous occasions to ban the use of zero hour contracts in various sectors, and we will continue to work to improve workers’ rights.”

Meanwhile the chairman of lobbying organisation Care Forum Wales Mario Kreft has claimed the social care sector is in the midst of “a perfect storm”.

Saying the stress of falling budgets and recruitment problems was putting care providers under serious pressure, Mr Kreft added the introduction of the national living wage would make the situation worse.

“There's absolutely no doubt that social care workers deserve the living wage and more, but nobody has answered the question how it's going to be funded,” he said.

“Introducing the national living wage over the next four years is going to represent a 30 per cent increase for many workers.

“This will ramp up all pay rates across the sector and this will have to be paid for.

"Most industries are able to pass such increases on to the customer.

“However, the overwhelming majority of people in care homes in Wales are supported by local authorities, and health boards who are having their budgets cut.

“That means there is just no money to pay these increases. Something has got to give and I'm afraid it will plunge the social care sector into an even deeper crisis.”

A consultation into the proposed changes has been opened and will run until Tuesday, April 5. To take part visit gov.wales.