The cost of long-term care for local authorities is set to rise massively in the next 20 years. The latest review of adult social care from the National Audit Office provides a worrying assessment.
The National Audit Office review of adult social care market in England shows that in 2020, Local Authorities spent a net £16.5 billion, with 839,000 adults receiving long term support.
However, current demographic trends suggest a demand not only for more care but for increasingly complex care needs.
This is expected to result in an increase in the proportion of public expenditure being necessary to meet these needs. They forecast that there will be a 106% increase in the total cost of care for adults over the age of 65 by 2038 compared to 2018.
The National Audit Office review also concluded that the recently announced funding reforms are unlikely to make a meaningful difference.