England’s special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system is teetering on the brink of what experts warn could be a “total collapse,” as council leaders, campaigners, and families sound the alarm over spiraling deficits, rising demand, and delayed government reforms. The County Councils Network (CCN), representing some of the country’s largest local authorities, released a stark report on November 14, 2025, revealing that despite an extra £30 billion invested in SEND services over the past decade, educational outcomes have not improved, and families are increasingly disillusioned with the system (County Councils Network).
According to the CCN, local authority deficits related to SEND could reach a staggering £17.8 billion by 2029. The annual overspend is projected to hit £4.4 billion by the end of the current parliament, with the number of children requiring specialist support surging well beyond what the system was ever designed to handle (CCN; Isos Partnership). As of January 2025, there were 638,745 Education Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) in place in England—a 10.8% increase from the previous year—while 97,747 new EHCPs were initiated in 2024 alone, up 15.8% from 2023 (Department for Education).
EHCPs are legal documents entitling children to support from local authorities, and councils have a statutory duty to deliver the outlined provisions. But with demand escalating—one in every 20 children in England could soon require such support—the cost burden is becoming unsustainable. The number of pupils in special schools has soared to about 194,000, compared with just 109,000 in 2014/15 (CCN). The CCN projects that spending on specialist placements could hit £8 billion by the decade’s end, with an “over-reliance on higher cost placements and special provision,” including expensive private school places, further fueling the crisis.
Families’ struggles are at the heart of this story. Amanda Quick, whose 12-year-old son Ezra has ADHD and autism, described to the BBC her uphill battle with Somerset’s local authority just to secure the support her son needed. “My mental health took a hit. I couldn’t cope with all the paperwork so I ended up getting a solicitor, which is about £200 an hour,” she said. Claire Naylor, who owns a café supporting SEND families, recounted a similar ordeal: “The EHCP process became a real fight and a real battle to get those provisions put in place. We ended up having to go to court which took us over a year. We had to spend thousands of pounds on private reports just to prove what we already knew.”
The government’s response has been to delay planned reforms to the SEND system, with the much-anticipated Schools White Paper now postponed until early 2026. This move has drawn sharp criticism from all corners. Councillor Matthew Hicks, CCN chair, told attendees at the network’s annual conference, “Now is the time to be bold and act decisively: government cannot keep ducking reform and ministers must use the delay to set out comprehensive and long-lasting change to the system.” He added, “The research shows, 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 of almost £18bn.”
The CCN is calling for a “two-pronged approach”: first, the government should wipe out council SEND deficits to give local authorities a clean slate; second, there must be root-and-branch reform of the system itself. Without tackling the structural issues driving costs, the network warns, councils will simply accrue new deficits at an unsustainable pace, even if existing debts are cancelled. The Local Government Association echoes this sentiment, estimating current SEND deficits at £4 billion and warning that failing to address the debt could push dozens of councils into bankruptcy. In June 2025, the government extended the statutory override—a temporary measure allowing councils to keep SEND debt off their balance sheets—until 2028. But the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee recently called this an “unsustainable measure that hides the true cost burden on local authorities.”
Among the CCN’s recommendations are significant investments in mainstream schools to build capacity for SEND children, including hiring more therapists and educational psychologists, and providing wider inclusion and preventative support. The network also suggests establishing a national framework of SEND standards for councils and families, alongside legislative changes to focus EHCPs on children “most in need.” Reforming the tribunal system is also on the agenda, as families often face long, expensive legal battles just to access basic support.
Political tensions are running high. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has refused to say whether the government would change or abolish EHCPs, but she has voiced support for “earlier intervention” and “improving mainstream inclusion.” Labour MPs and campaigners are adamant that the legal entitlement provided by EHCPs must not be watered down. Rachel Filmer, who started the Save Our Children’s Rights campaign, warned, “Without [EHCPs] children have no legal right to any support so things could be catastrophic.”
Some MPs, like Labour’s Jen Craft, whose daughter is disabled, argue that cost should not be the primary lens through which reforms are viewed. “I don’t think you should be coming at it from a position of these children, these families cost too much money,” she said. Others, including Conservative MP Saqib Bhatti, stress the importance of getting reforms right: “SEND provision is vital to so many children and that’s why we all need the government to get its reforms right. Speculation that the government may scrap EHCPs has caused further anxiety to families that already face a struggle to get their children the support they need.”
Meanwhile, the Department for Education insists it is listening. A spokesperson told the BBC, “We’re determined to put that right by improving mainstream inclusion so every child can thrive at their local school. We’ve held over 100 listening sessions with families and will continue engaging parents as we deliver reform through the Schools White Paper.” Schools Minister Georgia Gould has been conducting a “listening tour” in constituencies to hear directly from families and professionals.
Yet, with the government’s own research showing that outcomes for children have not improved despite vast new spending, and with families’ trust in the system at a low ebb, the sense of urgency is palpable. The CCN’s conference on November 17, 2025, will see over 200 delegates debate the future of SEND provision, but many warn that time is running out. As the pressure mounts, the choices made in the coming months will shape the lives of thousands of children and the financial health of councils for years to come.
For now, families, councils, and campaigners wait anxiously, hoping that decisive action will finally replace delay and uncertainty.
