Ever since the failed 1999 Royal Commission, England has been attempting to reform its long-term care funding system. More than a decade later, significant changes to the means tested arrangements are yet to be introduced, whilst the pressure to achieve long-term reform mounts linked to...

Using a stochastic frontier approach, this paper explores efficiency in the commissioning of publicly funded social services among 148 English Councils through a six-year panel database (2002-2007), covering institutional and community care. Our estimates provide key policy evidence in a context...