Councils significantly increased their spending on long-term care last year by 11.2% in cash terms (£1.9bn), more than the overall rate of growth in gross adult social care expenditure (7.9%).
Overall, authorities spent £18.4bn on long-term care, 77.8% of their total gross spend (£23.7bn).
The high rate of inflation during the year meant that the 7.9% increase in overall spending was worth just an extra 1.1% in real terms, the sixth consecutive inflation-busting rise in expenditure by authorities.