Charities say thousands are being denied dignity and peace of mind because of council spending cuts

• Cash-strapped authorities limiting provision with tougher rules
  
• Number of elderly having meals on wheels almost halved in last two years
  
• Number of pensioners receiving home care dropped 12% to 385,000
  
• Age UK say figures show ‘how increasingly desperate the care crisis is’

By Sophie Borland

PUBLISHED: 00:18, 18 December 2013 | UPDATED: 00:18, 18 December 2013

The number of elderly people being given state-funded care in their homes has dropped by a quarter in just five years, according to official figures.

Charities said thousands of elderly and other vulnerable adults are being denied dignity and peace of mind because of council spending cuts.

Cash-strapped authorities nationwide are limiting their provision with tougher rules on who is entitled to receive help, despite the need growing as the population ages.

A total of 1.3million people receive state-funded home help, a place in a care home or hot meals – down from 1.7million in 2007-08.

In the last two years, the number of elderly having meals on wheels has almost halved from 45,000 to 23,000.

Meanwhile there has been a 12 per cent fall in those receiving home care, from 437,000 to 385,000.

Figures from the Health and Social Care Information Centre also show that the number with a state-funded place in a care home has fallen by 2 per cent from 167,000 to 164,000.

Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK, said: ‘These figures show how increasingly desperate the care crisis is, with the numbers of people receiving care falling, as are the number of people being assessed to see if they need support.

‘It’s clear that frontline cuts are leaving older people struggling on alone whilst living with chronic  illnesses and disability.

‘We already know that there are hundreds and thousands of older people who need help with basic tasks such as washing, dressing or cleaning their teeth and who do not receive it.

‘As local authorities continue to restrict eligibility for the people with highest needs, the situation looks bleaker than ever. Those older people unable to access care are being denied their dignity and peace of mind at the point of greatest vulnerability.’

This month, the charity warned that thousands of elderly residents would be denied help to even get out of bed in the morning under a  Government shake-up.

Ministers plan to draw up a national set of rules to determine who is eligible for care. Currently this is determined by councils but has been  condemned as a postcode lottery. However, charities have warned that the bar will be set too high.

Under the new system, it is likely the state would only pay for care for the elderly and disabled with  ‘critical’ or ‘substantial’ needs, such as help with eating, drinking and most other basic daily tasks.

Those deemed to have moderate needs, such as assistance getting out of bed and washing, would have to pay themselves.

Earlier this year, the Leonard Cheshire Disability charity revealed that more than half of councils grant vulnerable residents ‘disgracefully’ short carer visits of just 15 minutes.

Over the next year, it is estimated that £1billion will be slashed from the annual social care budget of  £17billion. The same amount was cut last year.

Figures obtained by the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services in May showed that councils cut spending by £991million in 2011-12 and by £890 in 2012-13.

Liz Kendall MP, Labour spokesman for Care and Older People said: ‘These figures show that some of the most vulnerable aren’t receiving care under this Government, with hundreds of thousands fewer getting help.’