Send spending gap widens as deprived England areas fall behind

Published: 12 February 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online.

A growing Send spending gap across England is raising fresh concern among education leaders and policymakers this week. New independent analysis shows deprived communities are falling behind despite rising national budgets for support services. The report draws on verified council finance data and cross-checked national statistics from recent years. It paints a detailed picture of how Send spending has increased unevenly between affluent and deprived authorities. Former education secretaries and sector experts now urge urgent reform to restore fairness and long-term stability.

The study, produced by Policy Exchange, examined local authority budgets covering special educational needs and disabilities provision. Researchers compared real-term spending changes between 2018–19 and projected figures for 2024–25 across all councils. Over that six-year period, total allocations rose by more than five billion pounds nationwide. That represents a real-terms increase of around 58.5 percent, which is historically significant for the sector. However, distribution patterns reveal sharper growth in wealthier areas than in poorer communities with greater need.

According to the findings, the wealthiest half of councils increased Send budgets by about 65 percent in real terms. The most deprived half recorded a smaller rise of roughly 51 percent over the same period. Analysts say this contrast matters because higher deprivation strongly links with higher levels of additional educational need. When funding grows faster in affluent districts, pressure intensifies on services in already stretched communities. The report describes this imbalance as troubling and warns it may deepen regional inequality if left unchanged.

The publication arrives as ministers prepare a major schools white paper focused on overhauling the current framework. Government sources have indicated that structural reform of special needs provision remains a central policy priority. The timing has intensified debate around Send spending and how future resources should be distributed more fairly. Council leaders, school trusts, and parent groups are closely watching proposed changes expected later this month. Many say the present model encourages late intervention and costly legal processes instead of early structured support.

Two former Labour education secretaries have publicly supported the call for a system reset and clearer rules. Ruth Kelly, who led the department between 2004 and 2006, warned that rising costs are overwhelming councils. She said dramatic growth in Send spending has created an unsustainable burden on local government finances nationwide. At the same time, she noted that increases have not followed patterns of social disadvantage as closely as expected. She argued that restoring certainty and discipline would protect provision for families who depend on reliable services.

Estelle Morris, education secretary between 2001 and 2002, also endorsed the central conclusions of the research. She said financial strain on councils is already well known but uneven impact receives less public attention. The detailed breakdown shows how some authorities face much sharper pressures than others under current rules. She believes the data strengthens the case for structural change rather than temporary funding adjustments or short fixes. In her view, reform must address incentives, assessment pathways, and accountability across the entire special needs system.

A major driver behind rising costs appears to be growth in education, health and care plans across England. These legally binding plans, often called EHCPs, guarantee tailored support packages for children with additional needs. The number of applications has increased quickly, especially in more affluent council areas over recent reporting years. Researchers found that nine of the ten councils with the highest EHCP application rates were relatively affluent. That trend directly influences Send spending totals because EHCPs often require higher and longer-term financial commitments.

Policy specialists say families with greater resources may navigate complex application processes more successfully than others. Legal knowledge, advocacy support, and time availability can all affect whether an EHCP request is pursued. This dynamic may partly explain why spending rises faster in councils with more advantaged populations and networks. Experts warn that a system driven by process strength rather than need risks widening gaps over time. They recommend earlier assessment routes that deliver help without requiring prolonged legal or administrative battles.

The financial stakes for councils are now extremely high, with deficits building rapidly across many local balance sheets. Ministers recently confirmed plans to spend about five billion pounds to clear most accumulated Send deficits. The intervention aims to remove roughly ninety percent of projected local authority special needs debt by April. Without central support, council groups previously warned that widespread technical bankruptcy could occur before the decade ends. That scenario would threaten not only education support but also wider local services residents rely upon daily.

Zachary Marsh, the report’s author and a research fellow in education policy, welcomed the planned debt relief. He said shifting part of the Send spending burden to the national balance sheet reduces immediate local risk. However, he stressed that financial relief alone will not solve structural drivers behind accelerating demand and cost. Sustainable reform must change how support is accessed and delivered, especially at earlier stages of difficulty. He argues that timely intervention reduces later legal escalation and produces better outcomes for children and families.

Charities representing disabled children say the human impact of uneven provision is already visible in many regions. Family surveys show that many parents reduce working hours or leave employment due to missing support. In deprived areas, that loss of income can quickly push households toward hardship and long-term instability. Campaign groups say fair Send spending distribution is therefore both an education and an anti-poverty issue. They want guarantees that reform will improve frontline access, not just rebalance accounting structures between authorities.

A spokesperson for the Department for Education said the current framework no longer works for families or councils. Officials describe the existing model as fragmented, adversarial, and financially unsustainable under present demand levels. The forthcoming white paper will outline plans for earlier support, more inclusive schooling, and stronger cost control. The department says it wants to end postcode differences that shape access to help and specialist placements. National standards and clearer thresholds are expected to feature prominently within the reform package.

Education leaders across England broadly agree that demand for additional needs support will remain high for years. Demographic change, better diagnosis, and rising awareness all contribute to sustained pressure on specialist services. The central policy question now focuses on how Send spending can match real need more closely everywhere. Observers say the next reform phase must balance fairness, speed, and financial discipline across the system. The choices made this year will shape outcomes for vulnerable learners well into the next decade.

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