Hand car washes fined £2.9m in just three months for employing illegal workers

Hand car wash firms have been collectively fined just under £3m in three months for employing staff who do not have the right to work in the UK, Home Office figures have revealed.

The data, from the Home Office’s Illegal Immigration Unit, show that £2.9m worth of penalties were issued to hand car wash (HCW) firms in the third quarter of 2024.

Penalties for employing staff who do not have the right to work in the UK rose from £20,000 to £60,000 per worker in February 2024, but despite increasing the severity of penalties, data gathered via freedom of information requested by the Car Wash Association (CWA) last year revealed that fines were only collected in 5% of cases in the 18 months between January 2023 and June 2024.

While it is unclear if these collection rates have improved over recent months, the Home Office’s latest data show one car wash firm alone was fined £360,000 between July and September last year. Brian Madderson, chair of the CWA, said the latest figures “come as no surprise”, adding:

“For over a decade, major reports have highlighted serious labour abuses within non-compliant HCWs, yet enforcement agencies have done little to eradicate these illegal practices. Despite the Home Secretary’s commitment to tackling illegal working and an increase in investigations, the reality is that this sector continues to operate largely unchecked.”

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