More elderly people who use local authority services to help them remain living in their own homes are lonely, according to new research by the government’s socio-cultural think tank SCP.

Some 20% of the over-75s who still live at home with agency help say they are very lonely, and only 15% say they can count on someone from their social network to help out if there is an emergency, the SCP said.

One in five of people with no agency help say they do have friends or family who could step in. The figures contrast with government claims that the elderly will use their own networks to help them remain living at home, the SCP points out.

At the same time, the number of over 75s who do get outside help dropped by 24% between 2015 and 2017.