Care spending down £1.4bn in a decade

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The amount spent on social care has fallen nationally by £1.1bn since 2010/11 and £1.4bn since 2005/6, after accounting for extra money from the NHS, Age UK has found.

The Age UK social care "score card" figures found that in 2005/6 15.3% of those 65 and over received social care, which fell to 12% and currently stands at 9% receiving support.

The reduction in the number of people seen is 381,345 according to Age UK's figures, while the number of people aged 65 has increased by 1,254, 879.

Previous research from Age UK found there are around 900,000 people aged between 65 and 89 who have unmet social care needs.

Between 2010/11 and 2013/14 the number of people receiving homecare fell by 32% and the number of day care places fell by 67%.

Of those who struggle with bathing and washing half do not receive help while 80% of those who need help with their medication receive none.

Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK says: "The more preventive services like meals on wheels and day care are being especially hard hit, leaving the system increasingly the preserve of older people in the most acute need, storing up big problems for the future.

"Hundreds of thousands of older people who need social care are being left high and dry. The lucky ones have sufficient funds to buy in some support, or can rely on the goodwill of family, neighbours and friends. But there are many who are being left to struggle on entirely alone."

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