Sixteen English councils spend more than 80% of core funding on social care

AI Summary

Sixteen English councils spent more than 80% of their core funding on adult and children’s social care in 2025–26. Across the councils analyzed, care spending reached £42.8bn, or a record 71.9% of combined core spending, up from 62.4% in 2017–18.

Councils collectively spent record 71.9% of core spending on adult and children’s care last year, analysis shows Sixteen English councils spent more than 80% of their core funding on adult and children’s social care last year, highlighting the growing financial pressure on other local services. Guardian analysis of government figures found that councils responsible for social care spent a net £42.8bn on adult and children’s services in 2025-26, equivalent to a record 71.9% of their combined core spending. Adult social care took 44.5% and children’s services accounted for 27.4%. In 2017-18, care costs made up 62.4% of councils’ core spending. Continue reading...