(England) Govt to cancel support for "less severe special needs"; "driven by rise in autism, ADHD"

Jan 1, 2026, Telegraph: Children with less severe special needs to lose support

A white paper to be published later this month is set to argue this spending has become unsustainable

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ce8zmjmxe04o

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/01/01/children-with-less-severe-special-needs-to-lose-support/  

Only parents of children with severe special needs will have the legal right to certain support under plans to cut the ballooning cost of provision, according to reports.  

Schools will take over from parents of children with more moderate forms of special needs when dealing with councils and the government under a proposed shakeup by ministers. 

Spending for SEND pupils has increased by two-thirds since 2012/13 to hit £11.1bn [$15B] this year, and is expected to hit £12.9bn [$17B] in three years’ time. 

Soaring demand for SEND support has been driven by a rise in autism and ADHD diagnoses, as well as speech, language and communication needs. About 520,000 children with special needs were eligible for taxpayer-funded transport to and from school in the 2023-24 tax year.

A white paper to be published later this month is set to argue this spending has become unsustainable.

Whitehall sources told the Times, which first reported on the proposals, that education and health care plans (EHCPs) often lead taxpayers to fund one-to-one sessions that could be replaced with a teaching assistant providing support for several SEN pupils in a classroom. 

Ministers are also concerned EHCPs are being used to fund activities which are not deemed essential – such as skiing and horse riding lessons for pupils. 

They also hope they will reduce reliance on more expensive special schools and help more children flourish in mainstream education. 

Children who already claim support are expected to be unaffected. 

Rachel Reeves announced that ministers plan to “fully absorb” spending on SEND support into the central budget from 2028-29.

The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) said ministers were yet to explain where central funding for special needs schooling would come from – creating a shortfall of £6bn, with no savings identified to pay for it.

A source close to the plans told the Times an ambition for every school to be part of a “group of schools”, to be announced alongside the SEND overhaul, would create “strength in numbers to meet a whole range of needs”.

The Department for Education said: “These claims are speculative and do not represent government policy proposals. We have launched the biggest national conversation on SEND in a generation, with plans being directly shaped by parents, the sector and experts who know the system best. That engagement will drive reforms that protect what families value and fix what isn’t working.”

A government source added: “Children with additional needs will have hope of a better future after years of their parents fighting tooth and nail to get support close to home under the Tories.

“Our reforms will ensure that every child in this country has the opportunity to get on in life, whatever their educational needs.”

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