The UK’s system for supporting children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) is ‘no longer fit for purpose’, according to a new report by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR).

The think tank found that requests for Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) assessments have risen by 250% since 2014, pushing local authorities and families to breaking point. Last year, fewer than half (46.4%) of EHCPs were completed within the legal 20-week limit, while thousands of children waited over a year for support.

In Leeds, more than half of applicants faced year-long delays, with similar backlogs reported in 14 other councils. The IPPR attributes the crisis to rising child poverty, pandemic pressures, and deep cuts to early intervention services.

It is calling for a new, school-based Additional Learning Support system to deliver timely, evidence-based SEND help — reserving EHCPs for the most complex cases — alongside renewed investment in training and early support to end the ‘vicious cycle’ of unmet need and escalating costs.

Commenting on the report, Cllr Amanda Hopgood, chair of the Local Government Association’s Children, Young People and Families Committee, said: ‘We need an inclusive system where an EHCP is not always necessary, with a workforce that has the capacity and right skills, and investment in early intervention.

‘The Government must also address the outdated legislation that leaves councils facing rising and unsustainable costs, particularly in home-to-school transport, where demand has increased sharply but councils have little flexibility under current law.’

IPPR's report follows confirmation from the education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, that the long-awaited schools white paper setting out how the SEND system will be reformed will now be pushed back to early 2026.

Autumn Budget Insights: SEND reform needed to break vicious cycle