Hilda Johani, founder of HBBA Care, has declared “enough is enough” as the final decision looms on whether crippling price hikes will be imposed on care providers.
Her company alone faces an additional £17,000 per year in rising business costs—a burden that threatens its survival. After years of what she describes as “suffering in silence,” Hilda is now backing the nationwide Providers Unite campaign, warning that the care sector is teetering on the edge of collapse due to government-imposed financial pressures.
A Breaking Point for Care Providers
HBBA Care employs 57 staff, with 52 frontline workers delivering home care across Birmingham and the West Midlands. But with costs spiraling, Hilda has been forced to cancel plans to hire a crucial admin support role—a move that will strain her team further.
The crisis has driven care providers to take action. On February 25, HBBA Care joined a mass rally at Westminster, demanding the government reverse its planned National Insurance hikes, unveiled in last year’s Budget. Hilda has also met with Saqib Bhatti, MP for Solihull East and Meriden, who has pledged support for deeper discussions on the sector’s challenges.
“I’m grateful our MP, a former shadow minister for health and social care, has listened and called for urgent roundtable talks,” Hilda said. “He acknowledges that critical care issues are at the heart of our concerns.”
A Temporary Reprieve—But Uncertainty Remains
In a recent victory, the House of Lords voted to exempt social care providers from next month’s planned National Insurance increase, allowing them to continue paying current rates. The bill passed its third reading on March 4, offering a glimmer of hope.
Yet for HBBA Care, based at Birmingham Business Centre, Solihull Parkway, the damage is already being felt.
“We’re bracing for unsustainable cost increases,” Hilda explained. “For providers like us—committed to paying the Real Living Wage and supporting workers under 21—the financial impact could exceed 12%.”
Unlike other industries, care providers cannot pass these costs onto clients, as fees are capped by local authority contracts. Meanwhile, soaring energy prices and operational expenses are squeezing margins even further.
“We already absorb unpaid work—training, assessments, meetings—while local authority social workers are compensated for their time,” Hilda said. “We have no choice but to write it off.”
A Decade of Dedication—Now Under Threat
Having run HBBA Care for 10 years, Hilda has watched financial pressures mount relentlessly.
“Our sector has been raising alarms for years, but little has been done,” she said. “Now, experts warn the entire care market is near collapse. We can’t stay silent anymore.”
Though the Lords’ intervention has sparked hope, the future remains uncertain.
“Even if the government scraps the hike for care providers, we’re already taking a major hit,” Hilda said. “Without urgent action, the consequences will be devastating—not just for businesses like ours, but for the vulnerable people who depend on us.”
As the fight continues, Hilda and fellow care providers are determined to make their voices heard—before it’s too late.