Council spending on home to school transport for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) is predicted to hit nearly £2bn this year.
The new analysis by the Local Government Association (LGA), published today at the LGA Annual Conference, represents a 200% increase on the amount spent in 2015/16.
Research for the LGA by the Isos Partnership found total SEND transport expenditure for 2023/24 was £1,733,513,195 – up from £644,757,072 in 2015/16. This is projected to increase to £1.97bn in 2025/26.
The majority of expenditure was for pre-16 children and young people with SEND, with approximately £1.5bn spent on home to school transport in 2023/24.
Cllr Arooj Shah, hair of the LGA’s Children and Young People Board, said: ‘The rapidly rising need for home to school transport from children and young people in SEND is yet another reminder of the huge pressures on the SEND system.’
