TENS of thousands of older people died waiting for social care last year thanks to lack of funding, a new survey by Age UK has revealed.

The charity said the blame for delays in allocating social care to 28,655 elderly people who died waiting “rests squarely on the lack of public money” to local authorities and insufficient care staff.

Long waits for benefits assessments, care assessments, care packages or reviews, discharge support and home adaptations also took a toll on older people and their families.