New data reveals which councils spent the most on care funding in 2024, with London among the top regions for both funding allocation and overspend.
Analysis of income and expenditure data for local councils within England has shown how much each local authority received and spent through programmes like the better care fund and the disabled facilities grant.
In total, £10.8 Billion was allocated to local authorities in the 23/24 financial year, to allow councils to fulfil the key objectives of the better care fund. This means enabling people to stay well, safe and independent at home for longer, and provide the right care in the right place at the right time.
Additionally, the fund aims to help with maintaining the NHS’s contribution to adult social care and investment in NHS-commissioned out-of-hospital services.
London received £1.61 billion in funding for the year, the fourth highest allocation among England’s seven major regions.
The Midlands had the highest income levels with a total of £2.3 billion allocated for those purposes, followed by the North East and Yorkshire with £1.9 billion.
The South West had the lowest overall allocation with just over £1 billion.
| Region | Actual Total Income |
| Midlands | £2,324,751,404 |
| North East and Yorkshire | £1,921,102,629 |
| North West | £1,649,414,543 |
| London | £1,614,888,106 |
| South East | £1,237,303,748 |
| East of England | £1,139,593,593 |
| South West | £1,007,927,518 |
| Grand Total | £10,894,981,541 |
In terms of expenditure, three out of the seven regions spent more than their allocation in order to meet the care needs for the area.
Despite the significant budget for London, the capital’s councils collectively overspent by over £18 million, bringing total expenditure to £1.63 billion. This overspend highlights the scale of demand for adult care services across the capital.
However, the Midlands spent the most despite having the highest income allocation to begin with, placing London as the second biggest social care spender.
| Region | Income | Actual Expenditure |
| Midlands | £2,324,751,404 | £2,330,201,201 |
| North East and Yorkshire | £1,921,102,629 | £1,908,238,876 |
| London | £1,614,888,106 | £1,633,023,710 |
| North West | £1,649,414,543 | £1,599,108,101 |
| South East | £1,237,303,748 | £1,233,052,822 |
| East of England | £1,139,593,593 | £1,147,125,643 |
| South West | £1,007,927,518 | £924,526,295 |
| Grand Total | £10,894,981,541 | £10,775,276,648 |
*Data collected from NHS England Better Care Fund: 2023 to 2025 planning data
Matthew Armstrong of EMS lifts commented on the results of the analysis:
“The amount of expenditure through these care programmes has increased year on year since 2021, and while it’s great to see local authorities aiding the communities they govern, the rising costs speak to the increasing need for care in local areas.
“The fund’s purpose also helps to take strain from the NHS’s direct budget, which is an incredibly valuable cause while the health service is under such massive pressure.
“That 98 out of the 152 local authorities spent more on provision than their income allocation however,r shows that if care costs continue to rise as they have in the available data, then it may become increasingly difficult for councils to find the funding needed to help meet their care aims.”
