Special Educational Needs: Finance

(asked on 15th October 2021) - View Source

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of funding for Education Health and Care Plans; and what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on that funding ahead of the upcoming Spending Review.


Answered by
Will Quince Portrait
Will Quince
This question was answered on 25th October 2021

We are aware that some local authorities have found it difficult to meet the increasing costs of provision for children and young people with education, health and care (EHC) plans. High needs funding, which is allocated to local authorities for the education of children and young people with high needs (including, but not limited to, those pupils with EHC plans) will increase by £780 million, or 9.6%, in the 2022-23 financial year. This will bring the total high needs budget to £8.9 billion, an increase of over £2.3 billion since the 2019-20 financial year. This vital extra resource will help local authorities to manage their cost pressures in this area.

We are working with HM Treasury, as part of the ongoing Spending Review, to agree funding levels beyond the 2022-23 financial year, and up to 2024-25 financial year. We expect the outcome of the Spending Review to be announced on 27 October.

Reticulating Splines