Since the Second World War au pairs have been "serving as the largely unmentioned glue holding middle-class families together", but now the industry has "collapsed", according to a report.
The double blow of Brexit and a minimum wage ruling have "ruined the tradition of exchanging bed and board for help with the kids", said The Sunday Times, and a leading trade body has waved the white flag and shut its doors.
There were between 60,000 and 90,000 au pairs in Britain before it left the European Union, but that number had halved by 2022, said The Telegraph.
The arrangement was "dealt a crushing blow by Brexit and the barriers that came with it", said The Sunday Times. With the end of free movement of labour from the EU the UK government did not provide an entry route specifically for au pairs.
Then earlier this month there was another "possibly fatal" setback when the government announced that even live-in workers would "henceforth" be entitled to earn the minimum wage.
Previous guidance from the Home Office suggested au pairs should earn "pocket money" of about £90 a week in exchange for being treated as a member of the family and helping out around the house.
But now anyone employing an au pair under 21 for the basic 25 weekly hours – even with a live-in allowance applied – will have to pay £145.07 a week, rising to £330.47 for an au pair aged over 21 working 35 hours a week.
In the wake of these developments the British Au Pair Agencies Association (BAPAA) announced its closure on Facebook and there are fears the longstanding arrangement has had its day. |