Overspends by councils on adult social care remain high, at £715 million, with a growing number of people waiting for care and support, according to the latest annual survey from the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services.
Cllr Dr Wendy Taylor MBE, Chair of the LGA’s Health and Wellbeing Committee, said: “After successful efforts in recent years to reduce the number of people waiting for a care assessment or support service, it’s concerning to see this number rise.
“This is another reminder of the difficult decisions councils are having to make and the real impact this has on their ability to meet their statutory responsibilities.
“We are alarmed that 58 per cent of integrated care boards are reducing their spending on continuing health care, potentially excluding people from the support they should receive and shifting costs onto social care budgets, exacerbating the risk of council overspend.
“We continue to call for sustained and predictable funding and infrastructure…This will be essential if councils are to successfully meet growing demand, deliver on their duties under the Care Act and support people to live the independent lives they want to lead.”