A sharp rise in high-cost social care for young adults has been revealed in the ADASS Autumn Survey, published today by the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services.
Directors across England report a 30% increase in the number of 18–24-year-olds whose care packages exceed £7,000 per week, driven by the growing complexity of care and support needs, and the transfer of responsibilities from health to local government without associated funding. Alongside this, severe pressures on council finances and workforce recruitment and retention challenges have also played their part.
Councils are supporting young people with the most complex needs, including profound physical disabilities, significant learning disabilities, severe neurodivergence, and enduring mental health conditions such as complex trauma.
The survey also highlights:
- £623m projected overspend for 2025/26 – the largest since Covid-19
- £869m savings required from adult social care budgets in 2026/27
- A third of Directors (34%) report little or no influence over Integrated Care System structures
- Half of the Directors lack agreements with health partners on funding, training, or competency frameworks for delegated healthcare tasks
The findings come ahead of the National Children and Adult Services Conference in Bournemouth and the Autumn Budget, where ADASS has submitted recommendations calling for:
- Investment in preparation for adulthood, including aligned statutory guidance and national standards developed with young people and families
- Stabilisation funding for care markets and workforce retention as international recruitment phases out
- Full funding for Fair Pay Agreement implementation and cost pressures from the Employment Rights Bill
ADASS President Jess McGregor said:
“Councils overspending on adult social care isn’t about abstract numbers — it’s about the unmet needs of real people. Nowhere is this more evident than for young adults with complex needs, like Freya, whose care and support ensures they can live full and independent lives.
“The underfunding of adult social care is forcing councils to make impossible choices – trying to balance financial sustainability with doing the right thing for those who rely on us.”
The ADASS President has also given evidence to the Casey Commission on Adult Social Care, urging a more coherent, sustainable, and fair system for children, young people, working-age adults, and older people.
The Local Government Association has also responded to the report from ADASS, with Chair of the Health and Wellbeing Committee Cllr Wendy Taylor, saying:
“This important annual survey strongly reinforces the hard work of councils doing all they can to ensure everyone who draws on care and support can live independent lives.
“But the overspend is also another reminder of the huge financial pressure councils are under, and the incredibly difficult decisions they are having to make about care, just to ensure they are meeting their statutory responsibilities.
“The rise in the number requests for high-cost care for younger working age people is a message to us all, that social care is about everyone and effects all of us, directly or indirectly.
“We desperately need the sector to be put on a sustainable financial footing to ensure that people do not suffer and everyone who draws on care and support can access what they need.”
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