Adult social care local authorities public expenditure cutbacks health care government policy

Adults with long-term and multiple health conditions and disabilities are living longer. The age group most likely to need care – those aged 85 and older - is rising faster than the population as a whole. This report, the first in a series on adult care, describes a care system in which rising needs, reducing local authority spending, and reductions in benefits may be putting unsustainable pressure on informal carers and acute health services.