MPs Warn SEND Children ‘Falling Through the Cracks’ Amid Delays and Funding Shortfalls

School children in a classroom, in a file photo on Nov. 27, 2019. Danny Lawson/PA Wire

Children with special educational needs are “falling through the cracks” owing to delays, poor provision, lack of funding, and pressure on parents navigating a complex system, MPs and education specialists have said.

During a debate in Parliament on Tuesday, MPs warned that the UK’s special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system is in a critical state. Extremely long turnaround times to obtain an education, health, and care plan (EHCP), as well as delays in school placements, are leaving parents “exasperated,” MPs heard.

EHCPs outline the support children with SEND need, such as extra teaching, therapy, or specialist equipment. Local authorities must issue an EHCP within 20 weeks of receiving a request. Despite a 140 percent increase in EHCPs since 2015, government funding has failed to keep up, leaving parents in a constant battle to secure help.

In 2023, only half of EHCPs were issued within the required 20-week period, and 98 percent of parents who challenged local authority decisions at tribunal won their cases.

Labour MP Andrew Lewin said that many parents are forced to leave their jobs to care for children who have not been found a place in the system.

“Constituents told me of a case in which Hertfordshire County Council allocated a family seven different officers in the time it took to finalise a place for an EHCP. Another story was of a parent who had no choice but to give up their job to become a full-time carer for their child, as they wait for an appropriate school place,” he said.

A recent report on the care costs for parents found that three in four parents of SEND children have their working life affected, having to cut hours or give up work entirely.

“Supporting children and young people with special educational needs is not an act of charity; it is a fundamental responsibility of government, and yet we find that parents are repeatedly battling to access the complicated system,” said Liberal Democrat MP for Winchester Danny Chambers.

Rising Demand

The demand for special educational needs (SEN) support has risen sharply over the past decade.

As of January 2024, 1.9 million children and young people aged 0 to 25 had SEN, with 1.14 million receiving support in schools, which is an increase of 14 percent since 2015.

A report by the National Audit Office in October found that England’s SEN system is financially unsustainable and urgently needs reform. It highlighted sharp increases in specific needs, including autism spectrum disorders, speech and language difficulties, and social, emotional, and mental health challenges.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has acknowledged the “stark” reality of the SEND system. In a December 2024 statement, she pledged to build a system where more children with SEND can attend mainstream schools.

“We are determined to break down barriers to opportunity for all children and will work closely with local authorities, schools, and families to ensure inclusion is at the heart of learning, and that all pupils receive the support they need to achieve and thrive,” she said.

Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer during a visit to Whale Hill Primary School in Eston, Middlesbrough, England, on June 11, 2024. Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire

Funding

A £740 million cash injection, announced by the government, is meant to provide more specialist places in mainstream schools. This forms part of a broader £6.7 billion capital settlement for education in the upcoming financial year.

The Commons Education Committee heard on Tuesday that while this investment is a step in the right direction, it does not directly address key staffing shortages or training gaps.

Luke Sibieta from the Institute for Fiscal Studies told the committee that while additional specialist places in mainstream schools are necessary, the lack of trained teachers and support staff undermines the quality of education provided.

Phil Haslett, the deputy chair of the f40 group of local authorities, urged the government to invest in specialist provision across the country.

“We want to drive that mainstream inclusion, but at the moment, the system is really struggling for capacity around specialists, and that needs to be put back in,” he said.

He also called for investment into local authorities to provide places directly.

The Department for Education estimates that 43 percent of local authorities could face bankruptcy by March 2026, partly owing to rising SEN costs. The government has yet to find a way to manage a projected £4.6 billion deficit in councils’ dedicated schools grants.

Kate Foale, SEND spokeswoman for the County Councils Network, said councils are “extremely worried” and will need support to stay afloat, while Sibieta suggested that local authorities will likely receive partial government support or an extension of the current financial protections.

He said it makes sense to delay a decision until the Spending Review, as future funding changes could influence how councils manage their budgets.

Labour MP Laurence Turner criticised SEND funding inefficiencies, saying, “Too much money is not spent well, and some providers charge too much for too little.” He compared the issue to overcharging in other parts of education, calling some providers “pirates of the high needs system.”

The Education Committee discussion is part of the new government inquiry into the SEND crisis, launched in December. According to its chair, Helen Hayes, breaking “the endless cycle of failure” in SEND will likely take years of reform.