Spending on education, health and care plans (EHCPs) and child disability living allowance (CDLA) in England is set to reach £21bn by 2029, more than double the real-terms spend in 2016, according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS).
The increase reflects a doubling in the share of children receiving support. One-in-twenty pupils under 16 now have an EHCP, up from 2.7% a decade ago, while one-in-fourteen children receive CDLA, up from 3.4%.
Rising demand has put councils under financial strain, with high needs costs exceeding Government funding and debts forecast to reach £8bn by 2028.
The research highlights concern over long-term outcomes, with many young adults who received EHCPs or CDLA experiencing poorer education, employment, and disability outcomes.
Darcey Snape, research economist at IFS, also repeated the IFS’ warning made last month that there is ‘worryingly little evidence on what forms of support deliver the best outcomes for these young people now and into the future.’
Cllr Amanda Hopgood, chair of the Local Government Association’s Children, Young People and Families Committee, said: ‘There is no doubt the current SEND system is not working and is not meeting the support needs of children and families.
‘This is why we are calling for reform of the system, and for Government to work with councils to tackle these challenges, while ensuring the voices of children and their families and heard and acted upon.’
For more on SEND spending, check out: Underfunding, Not Demand, Is Breaking SEND
