NEARLY half of adults receiving social care across Dorset are paying private providers to top up their support, figures show.

The adult social care survey found between 40-45 per cent of care recipients across Dorset in 2017-18 were topping up in the private sector either out of their own pockets or via their families.

Figures show this is increasingly common across the country, with the Local Government Association saying the greater uptake of private services is caused by stretched council resources.

Ian Hudspeth, chairman of the association’s community wellbeing board, said the increase in private care uptake was "a further symptom of a system under significant pressure".

"With people living longer, increases in costs and decreases in funding, adult social care is at breaking point," he said.

"Over recent years councils have protected adult social care relative to other services.

"But the scale of the overall funding picture for local government as a whole means adult social care services still face a £3.5 billion funding gap by 2025, just to maintain existing standards of care.

"The likely consequences of this are more and more people being unable to get quality and reliable care and support, which enables them to live more fulfilling lives."

Caroline Abrahams, charity director of Age UK, said older people would "continue to receive a very raw deal" without more government cash being diverted to social care.

"People entitled to free care because of low income and high needs have always been able to pay a bit more for added extras, but it seems this provision is increasingly being used by providers and councils simply to raise more cash for regular care," she said.

"The care system is so short of funds we can understand why this is happening but the fact is it is deeply unfair on the older people and families concerned."

The survey covered 436 care receivers in Bournemouth, 469 in Poole and 382 in the Dorset county area.

It found 32 per cent of recipients in Bournemouth, 34 per cent in Poole and 41 per cent in Dorset who were topping up their care purely out of their own pocket.

Adult social care is provided to people with physical or learning disabilities, or physical or mental illnesses.

Provision is means tested, and includes support such as help with personal care, like eating, washing, or getting dressed, or with domestic routines such as cleaning or going to the shops.

The most common type of care delivered in Dorset was 'physical support', and most people received it at home and were aged over 65.

Across England, 36.7 per cent of social care receivers or their families paid to top up their social care in 2017-18, up from 35.3 per cent in the previous year – an estimated 9,000 more people.

A spokesman for the Department of Health and Social Care said: "We want everyone to have access to the care and support they need.

"Our social care system is based on a principle of shared responsibility between the state and the public.

"We have provided local authorities with access to up to £9.6bn in dedicated social care funding over three years and later this year will set out our plans to reform the system to make it sustainable for the future."