Funding for many service areas may have to reduce significantly because of the council’s need to manage the huge gap, the Local Government Association says, resulting in a “crisis” in adult social care funding.

The LGA says “conservative estimates” show the huge funding shortfall will be place by 2017-18, due to Government cutbacks and the growing cost of delivering statutory responsibilities such as concessionary travel.

Cambridgeshire County Council has now launched a campaign with the LGA to encourage central Government to make an “immediate injection of money into the adult care system to meet rising demand in the short term”.

Council leader Nick Clarke laid the blame firmly at central Government’s door, saying: “The 28 per cent cut in the amount of money councils receive from central Government between 2010/11 and 2014/15 has contributed considerably to this situation.

“We’re calling on the Government to do more, otherwise all our residents will suffer as a consequence as we look at other council services in order to address the crisis in adult social care funding.”

Councillor Martin Curtis, cabinet member for adult services, said the gap between providing adult social care services and the cost of maintaining them for 2012-13 was already predicted to be �2.9 million.

“This will continue to widen as the years go on,” he said.

“We are working hard to deliver services that promote good health and positive wellbeing to help to reduce the increasing demand, whilst maintaining personal dignity and providing value for money for the county’s tax payers.

“But this will not be enough. The Government needs to act now to address this situation for the benefit of all of our residents.”