Industry News | Jul 17, 2026 | No Comments |
ADASS Spring Survey
ADASS warns social care is reaching a tipping point
Part of our ongoing coverage of the Casey Commission – see the full timeline.
New survey highlights rising waits, growing mental health pressures and increasing concern over legal duties
Adult social care in England is facing “significant financial pressures” that are making it increasingly difficult for councils to provide timely support, according to the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS).
Its 2026 Spring Survey paints a worrying picture of rising demand, growing complexity of need and stretched budgets, with more than 400,000 people now waiting for assessments, care packages or reviews.
The report also warns that financial pressures within the NHS are increasingly being passed on to local authority social care services, particularly for people with complex health conditions and mental health needs.
Adult social care leaders say services are under increasing strain, with rising demand, growing complexity and mounting financial pressures.
Key findings include:
• £715 million overspent on adult social care budgets in 2025/26.
• £909 million more savings planned for 2026/27 despite rising demand.
• 409,000 people waiting for assessments, care, direct payments or reviews.
• 97,000 people waiting for a Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) assessment, with almost half waiting more than six months.
• 75% of councils report more people turning to social care after losing or being refused NHS Continuing Healthcare.
• 86% of Directors say mental health needs have increased in their area.
• 80% report more safeguarding concerns, with 88% saying cases are becoming more complex.
• Only 5% of adult social care spending now goes towards preventative services for people who have not yet reached the Care Act eligibility threshold – the lowest proportion since ADASS began measuring it.
• Two-thirds of councils have seen care providers close, cease trading or hand back contracts during the past six months.
£715 million overspend despite planned savings
Councils overspent their adult social care budgets by £715 million during 2025/26, marking the second consecutive year that overspends have approached three-quarters of a billion pounds.
At the same time, councils are expected to deliver a further £909 million of savings during 2026/27, despite demand for services continuing to rise. Adult social care now accounts for almost 38% of total council spending.
Hundreds of thousands waiting for help
Perhaps the most concerning finding for disabled and older people is the continuing growth in waiting lists.
ADASS estimates that almost 409,000 people are currently waiting for an assessment, for care or direct payments to begin, or for a review of their care package.
Among them are:
• nearly 200,000 waiting for a Care Act assessment
• more than 185,000 overdue for an annual care review
• almost 97,000 waiting for a Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) assessment.
Nearly half of everyone waiting for a DoLS assessment has already been waiting for more than six months.
NHS pressures spilling into social care
One of the report’s strongest messages is that financial pressures within the NHS are increasingly shifting costs and responsibilities onto councils.
Three quarters of Directors of Adult Social Services said they are seeing more people who would previously have qualified for NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC) now turning to local authority social care instead.
Meanwhile:
• 58% reported Integrated Care Boards are reducing spending on Continuing Healthcare
• 84% said these reductions are increasing the risk of council overspending
• 71% said more people are having their NHS Continuing Healthcare reviewed and then found ineligible.
ADASS argues that eligibility for NHS Continuing Healthcare should be based on people’s needs rather than financial pressures within the NHS.
Mental health demand continues to grow
The survey also identifies rapidly increasing mental health needs.
Nearly nine in ten Directors reported rising levels of mental ill health within their communities, while almost nine in ten also said increasing complexity of mental health needs was pushing up council spending.
Many councils reported stepping in where local NHS mental health services have reduced support or become harder to access.
Safeguarding concerns rising
Directors also expressed growing concern about adult safeguarding.
Four out of five councils reported increases in safeguarding concerns over the past year, while almost nine in ten said those cases had become more complex.
Nearly two thirds believed rising poverty was contributing to the increase in safeguarding issues. More than half of Directors also said they were only partially confident—or not confident at all—that they would be able to meet their legal safeguarding duties during the coming year.
Prevention spending continues to shrink
Although the Government has pledged to shift health and care towards prevention, ADASS warns that councils have little choice but to prioritise people with the highest levels of need.
Only 5% of adult social care budgets are now spent on preventative services for people whose needs do not yet meet the Care Act eligibility threshold—the lowest proportion recorded since the survey began.
Care providers remain under pressure
The report also highlights continuing fragility within the care market.
Two thirds of councils reported care providers closing, handing back contracts or ceasing trading during the previous six months, affecting almost 4,000 people.
ADASS warns that upcoming employment reforms could place further financial pressure on providers unless additional funding is made available.
Reform cannot wait
The report concludes that adult social care reform can no longer be delayed.
Among its recommendations are:
• reforming NHS Continuing Healthcare so eligibility is based on need rather than budgets
• improving support for young people moving from children’s to adult services
• strengthening adult safeguarding arrangements
• ensuring people with multiple disadvantages, including homelessness and mental ill health, do not fall through gaps between public services.
ADASS says the forthcoming recommendations from Baroness Casey’s Independent Commission on Adult Social Care now represent a critical opportunity to build a more sustainable system centred on people’s needs rather than organisational boundaries.
Download the full survey here (external link will open in a new browser tab or window)
Response to ADASS Spring Survey from Gerard Crofton-Martin, Interim Chief Executive at SCIE:
“This survey paints a deeply concerning picture of a system under unabating pressure.
“The financial challenges facing individuals and local authorities, alongside increases in waiting times and pressure on support for unpaid carers, should be a concern for all of us. Behind these figures are people who need timely, high-quality support to live safe, independent, and fulfilling lives.
“Perhaps most concerning is that over half of Directors have only partial or no confidence in meeting their legal duties for safeguarding. The need for a coherent and compassionate approach to protecting people from harm has never been more urgent.
“The findings underline the importance of sustainable investment, stronger partnership working across health and social care, and a renewed focus on prevention and early intervention. At SCIE, we know that the best outcomes are achieved when services work together with people, families, and communities. As demand continues to grow and needs become more complex, it is vital that reform is grounded in what matters most to people.
“The Casey Commission presents a crucial opportunity to act on the challenges highlighted in the survey. It must address the underlying causes of growing demand and inequity, while creating a future that is more sustainable, more person-centred, and more resilient.”
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Further reading and resources
The Casey Commission: full coverage of adult social care reform
A “moment of reckoning” for adult social care
The ADASS website is here (external link will open in a new browser tab or window)
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