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

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.

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Source: Guardian Politics