England's special educational needs system is hurtling toward total collapse within four years, with local authorities warning of catastrophic financial consequences unless urgent government intervention occurs.
The Mounting Financial Crisis
According to a stark report from the County Councils Network (CCN), councils across England are projected to accumulate Send deficits reaching £18 billion by the end of this decade. This alarming financial black hole threatens to push approximately 59 upper tier authorities into effective bankruptcy by March 2028.
The crisis stems from accelerating demand for Special Educational Needs and Disability (Send) support, with councils struggling to manage costs that far exceed government funding. Matthew Hicks, CCN chair, delivered a sobering assessment: "The system is heading towards total collapse in little over four years. This could mean families facing even longer waits for support, councils facing a level of demand that the system was never designed for, and local authorities staring down unimaginable deficits."
Record Demand for Support
The surge in Send spending has been primarily driven by dramatic increases in Education and Health Care Plans (EHCPs), which legally entitle children and young people up to age 25 to council support for conditions including autism, and speech and language difficulties.
The CCN report reveals that the number of EHCPs issued reached a record 638,000 in 2024-25, with projections indicating this could rise to 840,000 by 2028-29 - equivalent to one in twenty children and young people across England.
Autism and other neurodiverse needs account for over two-thirds of EHCPs in English schools, alongside social and emotional health issues, and language and communication difficulties.
Consequences and Proposed Solutions
This unprecedented demand has forced councils to increasingly rely on expensive private specialist schools, many owned by private equity investors. The CCN report estimates that 34,000 pupils are currently in special schools at an average annual cost of £72,000 per place - dramatically higher than the £10,000 average in mainstream schools.
The government acknowledges the system's precarious state, with a Department for Education spokesperson stating they had "inherited a Send system on its knees" and are committed to improving mainstream inclusion.
However, proposed solutions including writing off council debts and reforming Send appeal tribunals to reduce access to specialist support are likely to face fierce opposition from parents already struggling within what the report describes as an "adversarial system."
Lorna Baxter, president of the Association of Local Authority Treasurers, emphasised the urgency: "Without prompt government intervention, we risk an unprecedented local authority financial crisis." The coming months will prove critical for determining the future of special educational needs provision for hundreds of thousands of children across England.
