Local authorities could be facing substantial additional costs related to special educational needs and disabilities provision by 2029 if urgent changes are not implemented, according to a prominent think-tank. The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) highlighted a significant increase in high needs spending in schools, which has surged by 66% since 2016. Data revealed that 5.2% of pupils under 16 in England have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), while 7.2% receive child disability living allowance (CDLA), compared to 3.4% a decade ago.
The IFS projected that spending on EHCPs and CDLA, currently at £16 billion, is set to rise to £21 billion by 2029, more than double the expenditure in 2016. Additionally, high needs spending in schools is expected to increase by £3 billion by 2029. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson is devising plans to revamp the struggling SEND system through a white paper this autumn, sparking concerns among parents about potential changes to EHCPs.
The number of children with EHCPs has risen from 3% to 5% since 2018, but local councils are grappling with financial constraints. Darcey Snape, a research economist at IFS, noted that a government White Paper is anticipated to propose reforms to EHCPs, emphasizing the need for a review of the child disability living allowance, which has remained largely unchanged for over 30 years.
Various education leaders and officials, including Paul Whiteman from the school leaders’ union NAHT, Pepe Di’Iasio from the Association of School and College Leaders, and Cllr Amanda Hopgood from the Local Government Association, have voiced concerns about the inadequacies of the current SEND system and called for comprehensive reforms to better support children and families in need.