Councils warn of 'total collapse' in special needs system

"The special educational needs and disabilities system for children in England faces "total collapse" and the government must not "keep ducking" reforms, council leaders have warned. The County Councils Network, which represents some of England's largest local authorities, said councils had deficits which will reach 4.4bn a year by the end of this parliament in 2029, as they struggled to cope with increased demand."

"The number of Education Health and Care Plans (EHCP) - the legal document entitling children to support from local authorities - has increased, according to the Department for Education. There were 638,745 EHCPs in place in January 2025, up 10.8% on the same point last year. The number of new plans which started during 2024 also grew by 15.8% on the previous year, to 97,747."

"The County Councils Network (CCN) says one in every 20 children in England could end up needing this kind of support by the end of the decade. Councils have a statutory duty to provide support to children with an EHCP, depending on what the document outlines. The CCN also says demand for EHCPs alone is not the only factor driving spiralling expenditure, with "over-reliance on higher costs placements and special provision" also a factor, including "expensive private school places"."

Local authorities in England face rapidly rising demand and costs for special educational needs support, with EHCP numbers increasing to 638,745 in January 2025 and 97,747 new plans in 2024. The County Councils Network predicts council deficits could reach £4.4bn annually by 2029 and warns one in 20 children may need EHCP-level support by the end of the decade. Expenditure pressures include expensive private placements, higher-cost provision and record numbers of pupils in special schools (around 194,000 versus 109,000 in 2014/15). Councils could be spending £8bn on placements by decade's end, while national reforms have been delayed.

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