The proportion of adults receiving local authority-funded care in residential and nursing homes has continued to fall as the number supported to stay at home has risen, according to the latest official figures.
The proportion of adults receiving local authority funded care in residential and nursing homes has continued to fall as the number supported to stay at home has risen, in line with government policy and stretched town hall budgets, figures published this week show.
Government figures revealed the total number of people receiving long-term support in England across all age groups increased overall by around three per cent in the 12 months to December 2025 to 683,000, driven by an increase home care funded via LA direct payments.
According to the latest Adult Social Care Client Level Data (CLD) quarterly update, more than 70 per cent of the total number of people receiving state-funded care were being supported ‘in the community’ (486,000), while 28 per cent (194,000) being cared for in residential or nursing homes.
Older people account for the majority of long‑term care recipients
The figures showed that just under six in ten (59 per cent) of the total receiving long‑term support were people aged 65 or over (403,000) – the largest proportion (3,670 per 100,000 head of population.
The figures showed that people aged 85 or over continue to be the largest proportional group receiving long‑term support at a rate of 11,260 per 100,000, compared with 3,660 per 100,000 among those aged 75–84.
Greatest proportion of people receiving care live in the North
The largest proportion of people receiving LA funded care are living in the North West and the North East, the figures show, with 1,820 per 100,000 living in the region receiving care in the North East, and 1,800 in the North West per 100,000 local population.
Rates varied between 1,300 and 1,500 per 100,000 people in all other regions,
Women continue to make up the majority of long‑term care users
More than half (56 per cent) of people with a recorded gender receiving state funded adult social care were female (383,000). This equates to1,600 per 100,000 female adults compared with 299,000 men (1,330 per 100,000).
Meanwhile, the data showed that white and Asian groups form the largest groups receiving care, but black groups had the highest rate of care relative to population size.
White people accounted for 552,000 individuals (1,480 per 100,000), while Asian or Asian British people made up 42,000 (1,050 per 100,000).
Black, Black British, Caribbean or African people accounted for 36,000, but with the highest rate relative to population size (2,110 per 100,000).
