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Social care packages for young adults costing more than £7,000 per week have grown by 30%, according to a new survey by the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS).
The packages for 18–24 year olds are for those with the most complex needs, including profound physical disabilities, significant learning disabilities, severe neurodivergence, and enduring or high-risk mental health conditions such as complex trauma.
In 2024, the Autumn Survey estimated that 547 young people aged 18-24 had a care package of more than £7,000 per week. This rose to 712 people in 2025.
Directors across England say the increase is driven by the growing complexity of care and support needs, the transfer of support from health to local government care without associated funding, pressures on local government finances and workforce challenges.
Social care overspend of £623 million
Directors are estimating a projected £623 million overspend for 2025/26, the largest overspend since Covid-19, and significant savings will be required from next year’s adult social care budgets.
Another issue highlighted by over half of the respondents was that, when healthcare tasks are delegated to adult social care, there are no agreements in place with health partners on funding, training, or competency frameworks for staff.
Jess McGregor, ADASS President and Executive Director Adults and Health at Camden Council, said: “Councils overspending on adult social care isn’t about abstract numbers — it’s about the unmet needs of real people. Nowhere is this more evident than for young adults with complex needs whose care and support ensures they can live full and independent lives.
“The underfunding of adult social care is forcing councils to make impossible choices – trying to balance financial sustainability with doing the right thing for those who rely on us.”
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The ADASS is now calling on the Government to invest in preparation for adulthood, including aligned statutory guidance and a national set of standards developed with young people and families.
It also wants stabilisation funding for care markets and support for workforce retention as the Government phases out international recruitment.
Urgent social care reform needed
Kathryn Marsden OBE, Chief Executive of Social Care Institute for Excellence, said that the report provides further evidence that rising demand, escalating needs, and intense financial pressures—including significant overspends and savings requirements—are forcing local authorities to prioritise crisis management over early intervention in social care.
She added: “The effects of a crisis-led system are that fewer people benefit from available resources, and there are fewer opportunities for system reforms. The financially strapped social care system will likely compromise the delivery of the government’s three shifts.
“Early intervention in social care is especially critical to the success of neighbourhood health schemes, which rely on integrating health and social care services. Our evidence shows that early intervention schemes depend on having dedicated capacity, shared digital records, funding alignment, joined-up leadership and common purpose. These enablers are in short supply in crisis-driven systems.
“Another fallout of this mounting pressure is the care market becoming increasingly unstable. Continuing with ‘more of the same’ jeopardises the aim of personalised care by limiting people’s care choices so that they can live the lives they want. An increasing number of people are now being affected by care providers closing, ceasing trading or handing back contracts.
“The ADASS survey also highlights a significant increase in high-cost social care for young adults. We know that young people moving from adolescence into adulthood are at risk of significant harm—especially those with complex needs. Urgent reform is needed to ensure they and their families are supported to manage continuity of care and support in a timely, compassionate and coordinated way.”
