'Ticking Time Bomb': Warning that Spiralling Spending on Special Needs Provision Could Push Councils to Breaking Point

'Ticking time bomb': Warning that spiralling spending on special needs provision could push councils to breaking point

Experts warn that the current system threatens the stability of many councils

Councils fear 'total collapse' over special needs education crisis

Local authorities plead with Chancellor Rachel Reeves for support as government delays plan to reform special needs education

'Ticking time bomb': Warning that spiralling spending on special needs

Some of England’s largest councils have warned that the increasing cost of supporting children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) could push some local authorities to bankruptcy within a few years. The County Councils Network said many local authorities were struggling to cope with increased demand and that the money councils receive from central government under the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) was not sufficient. The repor…

One in three councils could issue s114 before SEND override ends, research shows

The national high-needs block Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) deficit stands at £6.6bn in 2025/26 but could soar to £13.4bn by March 2028, when a

Councils warn SEND system faces total collapse without major reform to services

Councils say the government ‘cannot keep ducking’ reforms to the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system as new research reveals a system on course for total collapse with local authorities facing ‘unimaginable’ deficits of £18bn by the end of this Parliament. The report, released today from the County Councils Network (CCN), finds that despite councils investing £30bn more on SEND services over the last decade, educational outc…