Councils face millions in extra Send costs as overhaul delayed

Cash-strapped councils in England will be hit with hundreds of millions of pounds in extra costs after the government delayed tackling the £5bn deficits spent supporting children and young people with special needs and disabilities.

Council leaders and experts said the two-year delay prolongs the financial struggles faced by local authorities as they await the government’s overhaul of special educational needs and disabilities (Send) provision, and warned it could force more councils into sell-offs and insolvency.

Local authorities have been allowed to keep high-needs deficits off their balance sheets, thanks to a special statutory override. This mechanism was due to end next April, creating a “cliff-edge” that threatened to bankrupt scores of councils.

Protesters holding a sign that reads (in a font similar to that used by the TV show Friends): 'Send: They Won't Be There for You', and a banner with images of children

The override will now run until April 2028, the government announced as part of its wider reforms to revitalise local government funding in England.

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1 January 2025

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