Conservative councils across Britain are demanding new tax increases to rescue social care, in the latest sign of the funding crisis in public services.

An astonishing nine in every 10 local authorities say that taxation must now be part of the solution in securing the viability of adult social care, according to a comprehensive survey of council leaders and senior figures responsible for care.

Concerns have been growing as a result of another delay to government proposals on resolving the crisis and complaints that pledged funding for care has been diverted to the NHS.

Leaders and adult social care cabinet members in all 152 councils providing social care in England were surveyed by the Local Government Association (LGA), with 79 responding, including 36 Tory councils. The LGA found that 89% of councils backed national taxation. In the first survey of its kind by the body, almost all of those asked (96%) said they believe there is a major national funding problem in adult social care.

While local authorities have been allowed to increase council tax to help bridge the gap, the LGA has repeatedly warned that such small increases cannot be expected to cover the projected shortfall as England’s population ages and demand for services increases. More than two-thirds of councils (70%) said that increasing council tax further should not be part of the solution.

The survey comes ahead of the LGA’s annual conference in Birmingham next week, when councils are expected to make another public plea for action. Jeremy Hunt, the health secretary, revealed earlier this month that government proposals on adult social care had been delayed until the autumn. In response, the LGA will publish its own blueprint for resolving the issue.

The Commons housing, communities and local government committee and the health and social care committee have also called for a levy to be paid by those aged over 40, retirees, and employers to fund a social care “black hole” that stands at £2.5bn in the next financial year. The MPs warned that the current system is “not fit to respond to the demographic trends of the future”.

A study in Wales previously suggested that an age-related income tax increase of between 1% and 3% should be used to fund elderly social care. It could mean people in their 50s would pay four times more than those in their 20s. The report was commissioned by the Welsh government.

Social care faces a 'dangerous shortfall' of staff, government warned Read more

Izzi Seccombe, the Tory leader of Warwickshire county council and chair of the LGA’s community wellbeing board, said: “Our surveys show beyond doubt that the overwhelming majority of both our national politicians, and the people they represent, will settle for nothing less than additional funding from government to help solve the social care funding crisis.

“Properly funding social care and prevention services not only helps councils with overstretched budgets to protect care services for the benefit of those requiring them, it also helps to prevent further crises in the NHS and saves the health service a fortune by keeping people safe and well in their own homes, reducing the number of hospital admissions.

“All options should be on the table to solve the funding crisis and enable councils to meet growing demand with high-quality and safe services that help people live their lives. The longer we wait for long-term reforms, the more likely we are to see an unresolvable year-round problem in A&E.”