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Social workers who work within central London and use their cars to make home visits will have to pay congestion charges to be introduced next February, prompting fears that councils will face a host of "practical and financial problems", writes Sally Gillen.

A spokesperson for Transport for London, which is part of the Greater London Authority, confirmed that people delivering "vital" services such as those in the fire service and the NHS would not be expected to pay for vehicles such as fire engines and ambulances. But social workers who needed to use a car as part of their job would be expected to pay.

Now Unison is warning that plans by London mayor Ken Livingstone to bring in a daily £5 charge to travel into the capital’s centre will place financial and bureaucratic burdens on local authorities.

Julian Cooke, research officer at Greater London Unison, said: "We have calculated that our staff, who have 30 cars between them, would be paying £40,000 under the scheme. An annual season ticket is 1,200 per vehicle."

Unison is now analysing the proposals and is preparing to consult with social service departments, eight of which are based in councils within the charging zone, and health professionals to gauge their reactions to the plans.