Brief
English councils warn Send debt could hit £10bn by 2028
A surge in special educational needs requests could force councils to re‑accumulate £5bn of historic debt and double it by 2028.
By Felo News Desk · Published
English local authorities are warning that debts linked to special educational needs and disability (Send) support could reach a "catastrophic" £10bn within the next 18 months, according to a forecast released by the County Councils Network (CCN) on Tuesday.
The forecast follows a recent government clearance of more than £5bn in historic Send debts, but a rapid increase in applications for education, health and care plans (EHCPs) is expected to push the total back up to that level by April and double it by 2028. The surge reflects parents and schools seeking support before upcoming reforms to Send provision take effect.
EHCPs cover conditions such as speech and learning difficulties, autism and ADHD. The Guardian reports that the acceleration in requests is straining council finances in a way similar to pressures on the NHS and the benefits system from rising mental‑health and neurodevelopmental diagnoses.
The CCN’s Send spokesperson, Linden Kemkaran, said the deficits are not the result of reckless spending but of meeting a rapidly growing statutory demand without matching funding. She warned that if councils are left with billions of pounds of Send debt, taxpayers and local communities will bear the cost, and children could face longer waiting times for support.
Government reforms aim to replace the current system with a more inclusive approach that would embed Send support in mainstream schools, theoretically reducing the need for individual EHCPs. The Guardian notes that the Fonagy report, commissioned by the government and published last week, confirmed the rise in neurodevelopmental conditions is real and unsustainable without new management methods.
CCN officials have called on ministers to guarantee future Send debts, arguing that without additional funding councils could become effectively bankrupt while trying to meet their legal duties.
Key facts
- Councils forecast Send debts could reach £10bn within 18 months. (theguardian.com)
- Historic Send debts of over £5bn were recently cleared by the government. (theguardian.com)
- Applications for education, health and care plans have surged as parents rush for support before reforms. (theguardian.com)
- Linden Kemkaran, CCN Send spokesperson, said deficits stem from statutory demand, not reckless spending. (theguardian.com)
- Government reforms aim to embed Send support in mainstream schools to reduce reliance on EHCPs. (theguardian.com)
Sources
- [1] theguardian.com — originally reported as “English councils warn of ‘catastrophic’ Send debts forecast to hit £10bn by 2028”
