A long-term fix to pay for adult social care has been 'kicked into the long grass', local government leaders have warned.

The Local Government Association (LGA) was responding to new figures showing more than 4.3 million people aged 75 and over live in areas that do not provide enough support.

In their annual survey Coram Family and Childcare said care services were 'simply unavailable' for many people while for others it is unaffordable.

It says even if 'self-funders' pay only the same rate as local authorities, at nearly £17 an hour it will take just 13 months to spend £20,000.

The survey found a third of local authorities expect the situation to get worse in the next year while only 1% think it will improve.

Ian Hudspeth, chairman of the LGA's community wellbeing board, said: 'Work to find a long-term funding solution for adult social care has been kicked into the long grass by successive governments for the past two decades and has brought these vital services to breaking point.'

He called for action in the forthcoming local government settlement to plug the spending gap facing adult social care.