Families of children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) are warning ministers against weakening legal protections amid a deeply troubled education system. A powerful Westminster Hall debate on September 15 was triggered by a petition signed by more than 122,000 people, shining a spotlight on the crisis facing SEND services.
MPs from across the political spectrum described a system overstretched and underfunded, where parents endure lengthy waits for assessments, tribunals, and essential support—often watching their children lose vital years of education.
Dr Roz Savage, Liberal Democrat MP for South Cotswolds, opened the debate by emphasizing the scale of the challenge. Citing a report from the Institute for Fiscal Studies, she highlighted a nearly 80% increase since 2018 in the number of pupils granted Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs), now covering over 5% of all pupils. Despite this, local authorities face growing high-needs deficits, projected to reach £8 billion by 2027, with the rising cost of independent special school places doubling compared to state provision.
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“The current system is creaking,” Dr Savage said. “It is overburdened and under-resourced, operating under legal obligations that are harder to meet every day.” She stressed that early intervention and inclusion must be central to reform, warning that “a year lost at this formative stage is forever.”
MPs shared personal stories illustrating the urgent human cost. Liberal Democrat MP Gideon Amos recounted Luke’s struggles—an enthusiastic boy with SEND forced to endure inadequate transport support, leaving him at risk and his parents burdened with exhausting care demands. “Each day of delay takes Luke closer to expensive residential care,” Amos warned.
Sarah Dyke, MP for Glastonbury and Somerton, told of Lucy, an intelligent autistic girl who has faced long waits for diagnosis and an EHCP, feeling abandoned by the very system meant to support her.
Several MPs highlighted that funding shortfalls are driving delays and difficulties. Brian Mathew, MP for Melksham and Devizes, noted Wiltshire council receives almost 30% less SEND funding per pupil than other areas, stretching resources thin and causing long assessment waits. Martin Wrigley, MP for Newton Abbot, described Devon’s SEND deficit of £170 million, with only 3% of EHCPs issued within the statutory 20-week period.
The adversarial nature of SEND provision drew significant attention. Labour MP Sadik Al-Hassan, speaking as a parent, highlighted how families must “fight hard” for support and fear that weakening legal protections could erode already inconsistent services. Claire Young, MP for Thornbury and Yate, raised concerns about children with emotional needs being punished rather than supported, urging a compassionate approach rather than prosecution.
Vikki Slade, MP for Mid Dorset and North Poole, described the strain on professionals: teachers leaving in record numbers, overwhelmed councils, and caseworkers juggling hundreds of families. “The system is stealing our children’s childhoods,” she said.
Responding for the government, Education Minister Georgia Gould acknowledged the system’s failures, the exhaustion of parents forced into battles for support, and vowed that legal rights for children with SEND will remain intact. She outlined priorities for reform: early intervention, local provision, and support spanning education, health, and community services that celebrate neurodiversity.
While MPs welcomed the minister’s tone, Dr Savage urged the government to move beyond empathy to action, calling for accountability, training, funding, and a system that truly works with families. “Behind the national crisis are countless families pushed to breaking point,” she said. “We need a system where every child, regardless of their challenges, can realise their potential.”