Personal care services that help elderly people remain living in their own homes have been cut or frozen by two-thirds of local councils since the coalition came to power, a survey shows.
When 435 local councillors in England were asked about social care provision in their area, 64% said their council had reduced or kept funding the same since May 2010 for preventative care and those classed as having low-level needs .
A third (151) had seen their local budget cut, with reductions averaging 16%. Among those councillors, 76% said the cuts meant that elderly and vulnerable local residents were now at greater risk, while the same number admitted they were worried about the welfare of such people. And 69% said people in need would now not receive the help and support they needed.