A social services director has rebuffed claims that authorities are discriminating against older people in the funding of social care.

Christine Paley, co-chair of the Association of Directors of Social Services' older people's committee, said the comments in a Social Policy on Ageing Information Network (Spain) report were "unfortunate".

Other research, such as that from the King's Fund, had "tried not to marshal blame in any one direction, but looked across the system and the deficit of funding generally", she said.

In What Price Care in Old Age?, Spain, a coalition whose members include Age Concern and Help the Aged, says councils continue to underfund older people's services in favour of children and younger adults.