What it means: what councils in England spend each year on care and support for adults who are older, disabled or ill, such as care homes, help at home and support for carers, in today’s prices. It includes money from the NHS and from people paying towards their own council-arranged care, but not care that people arrange and pay for entirely themselves. Real spending fell to £24bn in 2015-16 and has risen since, while the number of older people has grown. It does not show how much care that money buys, as the costs of care can rise faster or slower than general inflation. Shown for context.
Source: DHSC, adult social care finance report, England, 2025 to 2026, table 4 (gross current expenditure, real terms using the GDP deflator).
Adult social care spending
For context+4.0% on the year before after inflation; +30.7% since 2005-06
Show chart and detailsWhat it means: what councils in England spend each year on care and support for adults who are older, disabled or ill, such as care homes, help at home and support for carers, in today’s prices. It includes money from the NHS and from people paying towards their own council-arranged care, but not care that people arrange and pay for entirely themselves. Real spending fell to £24bn in 2015-16 and has risen since, while the number of older people has grown. It does not show how much care that money buys, as the costs of care can rise faster or slower than general inflation. Shown for context.
Source: DHSC, adult social care finance report, England, 2025 to 2026, table 4 (gross current expenditure, real terms using the GDP deflator).