Adult social care bosses have warned that departments face an ever bleaker future than originally thought unless additional funding is made available.

The annual survey of social care budgets by the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) published on 8 May shows town hall bosses are planning to save another £800m over the next 12 months.

According to the annual survey, a fifth of councils thought a reduction in the levels of personal budgets would be ‘highly important'.

Adult social care departments have already made £2.68bn in savings over the last three years, which is equivalent to 20% of net spending.

Almost two thirds (65%) of directors believe prevention and early intervention could provide significant savings opportunities, but half believe that fewer people will be able to access adult social care services in two years time.

Commenting on the figures, ADASS president, Sandie Keene said: ‘Gazing into the next two years, without additional investment from that already planned, an already bleak outlook becomes even bleaker.'

‘The stark reality is that if such vast sums of money continue to be taken out of the care system it could be in very real danger of collapse,' said the chair of the Local Government Association's community wellbeing board, Cllr Zoe Patrick.

Conservative backbench MP and chair of the all-party group on local government, Heather Wheeler, has called for £2bn to be transferred from NHS budgets to local authorities to meet the rising costs of social care.

A Department of Health spokesman said: ‘The care of older people is priority for this government, which is why we are investing £7.2bn over four years to protect access to care and support.'