Independent care providers in Norfolk have joined together to bring legal action against Norfolk County Council.
The Fair Price for Care, Fair Pay for Carers campaigners have said they are taking legal action against the council for paying independent providers 'far too little' in comparison with the council's NorseCare homes.
The people behind the campaign are hoping the council will spread money equally between independent providers and NorseCare.
Tim Armitage, chairman of the campaign, said: 'Our carers are the most important part of delivering high quality services and we want to reward them appropriately for what is a very demanding job.
'We recognise times are hard but when money is limited it should be distributed fairly. Either they are paying Norsecare too much, or they are paying independent providers far too little and we want a level playing field.'
An application for judicial review was submitted to the High Court.
A spokesman for Norfolk County Council said: 'We're disappointed that this legal action has been taken. We're already in the process of working with the independent care sector to determine the cost of care in Norfolk, and this includes members of the Fair Price for Care, Fair Pay for Carers campaign group. The contract we have with NorseCare differs from any other arrangements in that it was set up to invest in and replace the council's ageing care accommodation over a period of 15 years.'
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