How to Write a Letter to the Council About Adult Social Care UK
- James Pite
- Apr 20
- 11 min read
Writing to your council about adult social care can feel daunting, particularly when the person who needs support is already struggling and the stakes are high. Whether you are requesting a needs assessment for the first time, challenging a decision that has gone against you, asking for a review of a care package, or raising concerns about the quality of care being provided, the principles of an effective letter are the same: be specific, reference your legal rights, state clearly what you need, and follow up in writing every time.
This guide covers the main situations in which people write to their council about adult social care, explains the legal framework that underpins your rights in each case, and provides example letters you can adapt. It is written for people approaching this for the first time as well as those who have already tried and been ignored.
The Legal Foundation: What the Care Act 2014 Gives You
Almost all adult social care rights in England flow from the Care Act 2014. It is the most significant piece of care legislation for decades and it shifted the framework from a service-led system to a person-centred one. Understanding the core rights it gives you changes how you write to the council, because it allows you to move from asking for help to asserting a legal entitlement.
The Care Act gives adults with care and support needs the right to a needs assessment, regardless of how high or low the council thinks those needs might be and regardless of the person’s financial position. It sets a national eligibility threshold that, if met, triggers a duty on the council to meet those needs. It requires care and support plans to be person-centred and to focus on outcomes that matter to the individual. And it gives carers their own right to an assessment and to support.
The statutory guidance that supports the Care Act, known as the Care and Support Statutory Guidance, sets out in detail how councils must carry out their functions. When a council fails to follow this guidance, that failure is relevant to any complaint and any escalation to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.
Situation One: Requesting a Needs Assessment
If someone has never been assessed for adult social care support, or if their needs have changed significantly since a previous assessment, the first letter to write is a request for a needs assessment.
The council has a legal duty to assess anyone who appears to have needs for care and support, regardless of whether those needs are likely to be eligible or whether the person has money to fund their own care. You do not need to prove anything to get an assessment. You just need to request one.
Keep the request short and direct. You do not need to set out all the needs in the request letter. That comes in the assessment itself.
Example: Request for a Needs Assessment
[Your name or name of the person requesting on someone’s behalf]
[Address]
[Date]
Adult Social Care Team
[Council name and address]
Subject: Request for Adult Care Needs Assessment – [Name of the person to be assessed]
Dear Sir or Madam,
I am writing to request a care needs assessment for [full name], date of birth [date], who lives at [address].
[Name] has [brief description of condition or circumstances, e.g. recently been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease / has been managing a deteriorating mobility condition for the past two years / has significant mental health needs that are affecting their ability to manage daily tasks]. Their needs have changed significantly and we believe a formal assessment is now required.
Under Section 9 of the Care Act 2014, the local authority has a duty to carry out a needs assessment for any adult who appears to have needs for care and support. I am requesting that this assessment is arranged as soon as possible.
Please acknowledge this request in writing and confirm when the assessment will take place. If there are any forms to complete or further information required, please let me know.
Yours sincerely,
[Your name]
[Your relationship to the person if writing on their behalf]
[Contact details]
Tip: If there is any urgency, such as a recent hospital discharge, a safeguarding concern or a significant deterioration in the person’s condition, state this clearly in the letter and ask for an urgent assessment. The council should be able to respond more quickly in genuine emergency situations.
Situation Two: Challenging an Eligibility Decision
If the council has carried out a needs assessment and decided the person’s needs do not meet the eligibility threshold, or if the assessment does not accurately reflect the person’s actual level of need, you have the right to challenge that decision.
The national eligibility threshold under the Care and Support (Eligibility Criteria) Regulations 2015 sets out ten outcomes. A person has eligible needs if they cannot achieve two or more of those outcomes because of a physical or mental impairment or illness, and if that inability has a significant impact on their wellbeing. The outcomes include maintaining personal hygiene, preparing and consuming food, maintaining a habitable home, developing and maintaining relationships, making use of community facilities and accessing work or education.
When challenging an eligibility decision, the letter needs to do three things: identify specifically where the assessment was wrong or incomplete, explain how the correct picture meets the eligibility threshold, and provide evidence to support the challenge.
Example: Challenging an Eligibility Decision
[Your name]
[Address]
[Date]
Adult Social Care Team
[Council name and address]
Subject: Challenge to Care Needs Assessment Outcome – [Name], DOB [date]
Dear Sir or Madam,
I am writing to formally challenge the outcome of the care needs assessment carried out for [name] on [date], which concluded that [name]’s needs do not meet the eligibility threshold.
I believe this decision is incorrect for the following reasons.
First, the assessment did not adequately account for [name]’s needs on their worse days. The assessment took place on a relatively settled day and the assessor did not explore how [name]’s condition affects them during flare-ups, which occur on [frequency]. On those days, [name] is unable to [specific examples of what they cannot do, e.g. prepare food, manage personal hygiene, or leave home safely without assistance].
Second, the written record of the assessment contains an inaccuracy. The report states that [name] [specific statement from report]. This does not reflect what [name] described during the assessment. In practice, [name] [correct description of what actually happens].
Based on the national eligibility criteria under the Care and Support (Eligibility Criteria) Regulations 2015, I believe [name] is unable to achieve at least two specified outcomes — specifically [name the outcomes] — and that this has a significant impact on their wellbeing. I am therefore requesting that the assessment is reviewed and the eligibility decision reconsidered.
I am attaching [list any supporting evidence, e.g. a letter from the GP, an occupational therapy report, a personal diary of daily needs]. I am happy to provide further information and am available to meet with the assessing team to discuss this matter.
Please confirm in writing that this challenge has been received and advise me of the next steps.
Yours sincerely,
[Your name and contact details]
Situation Three: Requesting a Review of a Care Package
If someone’s care and support plan is already in place but their needs have changed, or if the current package is not meeting their assessed needs, you can request a review. The Care Act requires local authorities to review care and support plans at least annually, but you can request a review at any time if circumstances have changed significantly.
The letter should describe specifically what has changed and why the current package is no longer adequate. Where possible, describe the gap between what is being provided and what is actually needed in practical, daily terms.
Example: Request for a Review of a Care Package
[Your name]
[Address]
[Date]
[Name of social worker if known, or Adult Social Care Team]
[Council name and address]
Subject: Request for Review of Care and Support Plan – [Name], Reference [number if known]
Dear [Name / Sir or Madam],
I am writing to request an urgent review of the care and support plan currently in place for [name], date of birth [date]. The plan was last reviewed on [date] and the current package of [describe the package, e.g. two hours of domiciliary care per day] is no longer meeting [name]’s needs.
[Name]’s condition has changed significantly since the last review. [Describe the change, e.g. They were hospitalised in [month] and have been discharged with significantly reduced mobility / Their mental health has deteriorated and they are no longer able to manage daily tasks they could previously handle independently / They have received a new diagnosis of [condition] which has added new care needs].
As a result of these changes, [name] is currently unable to [describe specific unmet needs, e.g. prepare meals safely / manage their medication reliably / maintain personal hygiene without full assistance]. The current package does not cover [describe the gap], which means [describe the consequence for the person].
I am requesting that a review of the care and support plan is arranged as soon as possible. If it would be helpful, I can provide further details about the changes to [name]’s condition and their current daily needs.
Please confirm receipt of this letter and advise me of the timescale for the review.
Yours sincerely,
[Your name, relationship to the person, and contact details]
Situation Four: Raising Concerns About the Quality of Care
If care is being provided but it is not being delivered properly, you have the right to complain. This might involve missed care visits, care workers who are not following the care plan, inadequate communication from the care provider, or a service that is causing distress to the person receiving it rather than supporting their wellbeing.
Complaints about the quality of care delivered by a provider commissioned by the council should first be raised with the provider directly. If that does not resolve the issue, or if the concern is serious enough to escalate immediately, write to the council’s adult social care team who are responsible for commissioning and overseeing the service.
Example: Raising Concerns About Care Quality
[Your name]
[Address]
[Date]
Adult Social Care Commissioning Team
[Council name and address]
Subject: Formal Complaint – Failure to Deliver Care Package for [Name]
Dear Sir or Madam,
I am writing to make a formal complaint about the delivery of care services for [name], date of birth [date], whose care package is commissioned by [council name] and delivered by [provider name].
The care plan specifies [describe what the plan provides, e.g. two visits per day of 45 minutes each, seven days a week]. In practice, the care being delivered falls short of this in the following ways:
On [dates], care visits were missed entirely with no notification to [name] or their family. On [dates], care workers arrived significantly late, leaving [name] without assistance for [time period]. On [date], [describe a specific incident involving inadequate or inappropriate care]. I have kept a log of these incidents since [date], which I can provide.
I raised these concerns with [provider name] on [date]. Their response [describe the response, e.g. was inadequate / did not address the specific failures / has not led to any improvement in the service].
The failures in service delivery are having a direct and serious impact on [name]’s wellbeing. [Describe the impact specifically, e.g. They have missed meals on multiple days / They have been left without personal care / Their anxiety has worsened significantly as a result of the uncertainty about whether carers will arrive].
I am requesting that the council investigates this complaint, takes action to ensure the contracted care is delivered as specified, and reviews whether [provider name] is meeting its contractual obligations. I would also ask that the council considers what interim steps can be taken to protect [name]’s wellbeing while the complaint is being investigated.
Please acknowledge this complaint in writing and advise me of the investigation process and timescale.
Yours sincerely,
[Your name, relationship to the person, and contact details]
Writing on Behalf of Someone Else
Many letters about adult social care are written by a family member, friend or advocate rather than by the person who needs support. If you are writing on behalf of someone else, state your name, your relationship to them and whether you have their consent to act on their behalf.
If the person you are writing for has capacity to make decisions, include a brief statement that they have asked you to correspond on their behalf. If they lack capacity, note this and explain the basis on which you are acting in their best interests, for example as a power of attorney or as their primary carer.
Under Section 67 of the Care Act 2014, the council has a duty to arrange an independent advocate for someone who has substantial difficulty in being involved in the care and support process and has no appropriate person to support them. If the person you are helping falls into this category and does not have adequate support, you can request that an advocate is arranged.
What to Do If the Council Does Not Respond
If the council does not acknowledge your letter, does not carry out an assessment within a reasonable time, or does not take action on your complaint, the next steps are as follows.
First, follow up in writing, referencing the date of your original letter and noting that you have not received a response. Keep a record of all correspondence. Second, if the issue involves a failure to assess or a failure to meet eligible needs, raise a formal complaint through the council’s complaints process. Every council has a statutory complaints procedure for adult social care.
Third, if the complaints process does not resolve the matter, you can escalate to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman. The Ombudsman investigates whether councils have followed the correct process under the Care Act. Cases involving failure to assess, failure to meet eligible needs, delayed reviews and inadequate care quality have all resulted in findings against local authorities.
Fourth, for situations involving an urgent risk to health or safety, contact the council’s adult safeguarding team directly. Safeguarding concerns are handled separately from standard care and support processes and are treated as a higher priority.
Getting Help With Your Letter
Free advice on adult social care rights is available from Age UK, Carers UK if you are writing as a carer, and Scope if the person has a disability. For complex situations involving a dispute about eligibility or a significant reduction in care, specialist community care solicitors can advise on whether the council’s decision was lawful.
If you want help drafting a letter that is clearly structured, references the correct legal duties and gives the council what it needs to act, the team at LetterLab can help you get it right. A well-written letter at the start of the process avoids weeks of delay and prevents important details from being missed.
Checklist: Before You Send Your Letter
Have you clearly stated the purpose of the letter: assessment request, eligibility challenge, review request or complaint?
Have you named the person the letter is about and included their date of birth and address?
Have you referenced the relevant section of the Care Act 2014 or the eligibility regulations?
If you are writing on behalf of someone else, have you explained your relationship and authority to do so?
Have you described the person’s needs or the problem in specific, practical terms rather than general statements?
Have you described the impact of the current situation on the person’s daily life and wellbeing?
Have you stated clearly what you are asking the council to do?
Have you attached or referenced any supporting evidence?
Have you asked for a written acknowledgement and confirmation of next steps?
Have you kept a copy of the letter and noted the date it was sent?
The Key Takeaway: Know Your Rights, Put It in Writing
Adult social care is not a discretionary favour. It is a legal framework of rights and duties. The Care Act 2014 gives adults with care needs the right to be assessed, the right to have eligible needs met, and the right to be involved in decisions about their care. Carers have their own separate rights. When councils fail to meet those duties, there are processes, a complaints system and an Ombudsman designed to hold them to account.
The letters in this guide are built on those rights. They are not requests that depend on goodwill. They are formal documents that reference legal duties and ask for specific things to happen within defined processes. A letter like that is taken more seriously than a phone call, cannot be forgotten or misremembered, and creates a paper trail that matters if things escalate.
Write it down. Send it in writing. Keep a copy. And if the council does not respond as it should, use the escalation routes that exist for exactly that purpose.
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