The annual State of Social Care in England report from the Commission for Social Care Inspection highlights a divergence between those who are assessed by local authorities of being in need of care services and those who are not. CSCI finds clear improvements in the range and variety of services for those who do qualify for council-arranged care - more people using Direct Payments to manage their own care; individual budget pilots have been set up; councils are placing a greater emphasis on helping people to remain in their own homes and the number of carers receiving an assessment has increased. However for the first time CSCI explores the experiences of people not deemed eligible for state-supported social care, either because of “insufficient” need or because of their financial resources. It shows that many younger disabled people and frail older people are being ‘signposted’ to voluntary services. Many are forced to rely on help from family and informal arrangements which can break down at short notice. People unable to rely on families or friends and unable to pay for care services themselves are simply left to cope with everyday life, while some become virtually trapped in their own home.