The number of requests for social care needs assessment advice has more than doubled over the past four years, a report by a national charity has revealed.

Access Social Care’s annual State of the Nation report showed a 123% increase in the number of enquiries about social care needs assessments and a 95% increase in enquiries that required specialist legal advice in the period 2021-23 compared with 2019-21.

The report also revealed:

• 100% increase in the number of enquiries about accessing social care statutory advocacy
• 80% increase in the number of enquiries relating to being a carer
• 48% increase in the number of enquiries from people seeking general information about social care
• 375% increase in the number of enquiries about mental capacity.

Kari Gerstheimer, founder and chief executive of Access Social Care, said: “It’s incredibly concerning – but not surprising – to see that there has been a 123% increase in the number of enquiries about social care needs assessments and a 95% increase in enquiries that required specialist legal advice. Our country is feeling the effects of years of underfunding of social care, and this is exacerbated by the dire lack of legal support available.

“At Access Social Care we provide free legal advice to ensure that people are getting the social care they are entitled to. But ultimately, we want a social care system that is properly financed, readily available and fairly distributed. Every day we see the bleak consequences of people going without the social care they so desperately need. We are calling for parties across the political spectrum to act now to fix social care.”

Hannah Hewish, legal strategy manager at Access Social Care and author of the State of the Nation report, said: “These stark figures speak for themselves and highlight the concerning number of challenges facing hundreds of thousands of people trying to access social care in England today.”

Access Social Care is a charity providing free legal advice for people with social care needs. Its third annual State of the Nation report is a data collaboration project bringing together its largest group of helpline organisations yet.

The report used anonymised data from Royal Mencap Society, Age UK, Carers UK, Independent Age, RNIB, Ealing Advice Service, Citizens Advice Bureau and Scope. It draws together over 300,000 separate data points and outlines the key challenges facing people who need social care.