Here is what the page “English councils warn of ‘catastrophic’ Send debts forecast to hit £10bn by 2028” contains. Councils across England are sounding the alarm over a looming financial crisis in special educational needs and disabilities (Send) provision, with debts projected to reach a record £10 billion within the next 18 months. The surge is driven by a rapid increase in Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) applications, which councils are legally required to fund. Although the government recently wrote off more than £5 billion in historic Send deficits, local authorities say they will have re-accrued that amount by April and doubled it by 2028.
The situation threatens not only council budgets but also the quality of support available to children with special needs, as authorities warn of deteriorating services. The growing gap between demand and funding poses a significant risk to public finances and could force difficult decisions about resource allocation in schools. This listing links straight to the original page, where the content is available in full.