By Becky Morton
BBC News
The Liberal Democrats are calling for a higher minimum wage for social care workers to help tackle staff shortages.
Under the party's proposals, staff would be paid at least 2 an hour more than the minimum wage - currently 9.50 an hour for over-23s.
Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey said the move would "prevent the exodus of workers" to better paid jobs.
The party said the government would need to give councils an extra 1bn a year to cover higher staffing costs.
It added that ministers should also take into account minimum wage rises when setting social care budgets.
The Lib Dems said the policy would be funded by increasing the tax on online gambling providers' profits to 42%. The tax - know an Remote Gaming Duty - is currently 21%.
The UK national minimum wage sets out the lowest amount a worker can be paid per hour by law.
The rates are decided by the government, based on the recommendations of an independent advisory group, and change every year.
More than half of frontline care staff - 850,000 workers - would see their pay improve if there was a 2 an hour uplift to the minimum wage for the sector, according to the Resolution Foundation think tank.
There are more than 165,000 vacancies in adult social care in England, up 52% in a year, the latest official figures show.
The Lib Dems said "chronic staff...
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