The quality of social care is worse in the most deprived areas, undermining the Government's levelling up agenda, new analysis has revealed.

Research by the Centre for Progressive Policy think-tank found unmet care needs were more than twice as high in the most deprived places than in the least deprived places.

It argued the Government's social care reforms were 'severely lacking' as the money allocated for professionalising the workforce, recruitment and retention would only recruit an extra 11,000 care workers a year or provide just £108 per care worker per year.

Head of research at the think-tank, Ben Franklin, warned: 'The current social care system is a force for levelling down rather than levelling up and the Government's reforms will not change this.

'Presently, the costs of the system fall heaviest on those least able to bear them – poorer people in communities where unmet social care needs are higher and where the burden of providing care can result in a further cut to household income as informal carers are forced out of work or to reduce their hours.'