£5bn council SEND debts to be paid off by government
Summary
The UK government will pay £5 billion to cover 90% of the debts that English councils have from supporting children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). This decision follows concerns from councils about possible bankruptcies due to these debts. Further plans for SEND reform will be detailed in an upcoming Schools White Paper.Key Facts
- The UK government plans to spend £5 billion to cover 90% of SEND debts incurred by English councils.
- The Local Government Association (LGA) had warned that most English councils might face bankruptcy if required to pay these debts.
- The debts are linked to the legal obligation of councils to support children with special educational needs.
- A statutory rule currently keeps these debts off council financial records but this rule will end in 2028.
- The government aims to take over responsibility for SEND funding, as these debts might reach £14 billion by 2028 according to projections.
- From this autumn, councils will receive grants to pay off the majority of their SEND deficits for this financial year.
- The government previously announced an investment of £3 billion for more specialist school places.
- Detailed plans for dealing with future deficits will be included in the Schools White Paper.
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