England’s adult social care system is in urgent need of government intervention, facing unprecedented financial strain as costs and demand skyrocket, according to the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (Adass).
With adult social care budgets reaching unsustainable levels, councils across the country are struggling to meet growing needs, sparking calls for immediate support to prevent further destabilisation.
In a recent Adass survey, four out of five councils reported they are likely to overspend on adult social care this year, with more than a third forced to abandon savings plans and implement further cuts mid-year.
The Adass president, Melanie Williams, warned that the current environment makes it impossible for adult social care services to thrive, let alone support the government’s proposed National Care Service.
Amid this financial strain, over 500,000 people are currently waiting for care assessments, as councils face a growing number of complex cases, staffing shortages, and surging costs.
Despite long-term government ambitions, Adass emphasised that immediate steps are essential to stabilise adult social care.
This crisis is compounded by rising wage and national insurance (NI) costs, which are putting additional pressure on care providers. Councils received a modest 3.2% funding boost in the recent budget, but the national living wage is set to rise by 6.7% next year, with NI adjustments expected to drive costs even higher.
The £600 million allocated for adult and children’s social care is insufficient to meet wage demands and cover essential services, councils say.
Currently, councils are spending up to 80% of their annual budgets on adult and children’s social care—a sharp increase from 50% a decade ago. David Fothergill, chair of the Local Government Association’s community wellbeing board, pointed out that wage and NI costs will absorb much of the recent funding, leaving little for critical needs like reducing care assessment backlogs.
Rhidian Hughes, CEO of the Voluntary Organisations Disability Group, which supports over 100 disability charities, warned that councils are overspending by more than £560 million on social care annually, which leads to underfunding for vital services provided by third-sector organisations. He argues this underfunding reflects a deeply unsustainable system in need of urgent reform.
Without swift intervention, England’s adult social care system risks a significant reduction in services, longer delays in care, and potential service breakdowns across communities.
