THE Government is out of touch with how much it costs to care for the most vulnerable people, says the leader of Buckinghamshire County Council David Shakespeare.

Disaster is inevitable without more money, he says.

Cllr Shakespeare was speaking on Tuesday at the general assembly of the Local Government Association, the representative body of the local authorities.

Local councils throughout the country already spend £1 billion more than the Government reckons is necessary for services for old people, children and disabled people, said Cllr Shakespeare.

The Government should do for social services what it has done for education and put in more cash.

"We have reached the point where genuine demands for service are dangerously outstripping supply," he said.

The Bucks call was backed by other councils.

Cllr Shakespeare pledged to fight for more government money for social services in February when the council was deciding its budget.

Council tax went up 5.4 per cent but the Conservatives turned down a Liberal Democrat proposal to raise it to 5.7 per cent and spend the money on social services.

Lib Dem leader Pam Crawford said: "The poor and vulnerable are paying for the rest of us to have lower council tax rises."

She added she was pleased David Shakespeare was prepared to fight his corner against the Government.