英国地方议会警告特殊教育需求债务将达100亿英镑

英国地方议会发出严厉警告，特殊教育需求和残疾（SEND）支持的快速增长将导致议会债务到2028年飙升至创纪录的100亿英镑1。尽管政府最近清偿了超过50亿英镑的历史SEND债务，但County Councils Network指出，随着教育、卫生和护理计划（EHCPs）申请激增，这些债务将在4月份重新开始累积1。

SEND需求的增长幅度令人瞩目1。截至1月份，EHCPs数量达到718,000份，过去12个月增长12.5%，这是自2014年该计划推出以来最大的年度增长1。2024年进行了105,300项法定评估，其中94%最终获得EHCP1。

政府目前同意支付英国最高层级议会到2026年3月累积的SEND债务的90%，但这一安排将在2028年4月到期1。汉普郡议会预测在2026-27年将面临2亿英镑的赤字1。County Councils Network发言人Linden Kemkaran表示，"这些赤字不是因为议会选择了鲁莽支出"1。面对这一危机，County Councils Network呼吁政府承诺为地方当局未来的SEND债务提供担保，否则部分议会将面临实际破产1。

Local authorities across England have sounded an alarm over ballooning special education needs and disability (Send) support costs, projecting accumulated debt to reach a record £10 billion by 2028.1 The County Councils Network has called on the government to guarantee funding for future Send deficits, warning that some councils face practical insolvency without intervention.1

The crisis stems from a surge in Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) applications that has outpaced government funding. In January, the number of active EHCPs reached 718,000, representing a 12.5 percent increase over the previous twelve months—the largest annual rise since the scheme's introduction in 2014.1 During 2024, local authorities conducted 105,300 statutory assessments, with 94 percent resulting in EHCP awards.1 While the government recently cleared over £5 billion in historical Send debt, the reprieve is temporary: current arrangements include a special exemption scheduled to expire in April 2028, after which accumulated deficits will return to council balance sheets.1 Hampshire Council alone has forecast a deficit of £200 million for 2026-27.1

According to Linden Kemkaran, Send spokesperson for the County Councils Network, "these deficits are not because councils have chosen reckless spending."1 The underlying demand growth is genuine, though future expansion at current rates would prove unsustainable.1 The government has agreed to cover 90 percent of Send debt accumulated by upper-tier councils through March 2026, but councils warn this protection is insufficient without a longer-term commitment to address the structural imbalance between need and resources.1