Council spending on adult services rises faster than on children’s services

Local authorities’ spending on adult social care rose faster than expenditure on children’s services last year figures released today by The Information Centre for Health and Social Care show.

The ICHSC found that spending on adult care rose by 5 per cent to £14.2bn from 2004-5 to 2005-6, reflecting a 2 per cent rise to 1.7m in numbers receiving care.

Overall council spending on social care rose slower, by 4 per cent, last year, to £19.3bn, indicating children’s services had received a lower rise than adult care.

Three-quarters of spending went on adult care last year and a quarter on children’s services, the figures revealed.