The headlines didn’t mention it.
Most analysis skipped straight past it.
But buried deep inside the Budget documents was one of the biggest SEND changes we’ve seen in years — a shift that could completely reshape who funds your child’s support, and who is responsible when things go wrong.
From 2028–29, the Government plans to move the full cost of SEND provision away from local councils and onto central government departments.
On paper, that sounds like good news.
In reality… it’s complicated.
And for SEND families who’ve been fighting, appealing, chasing and surviving a broken system — you deserve to understand what this shift really means.
Why this change matters
Right now, local authorities are responsible for funding SEND support — including EHCP provision, specialist schools, therapies, and alternative placements. But councils across the country are in financial crisis, with SEND overspends reaching billions.
Some councils have already issued Section 114 bankruptcy notices. Many more are on the brink.
The Budget states that by moving SEND funding to central government, councils will no longer have the huge SEND deficits that have been driving them into the ground. Westminster will carry the cost instead.
But here’s what parents need to understand…
1. This doesn’t fix the SEND crisis that families are living in today
This change starts in 2028 — four years from now.
Families are already facing:
- 12–18 month waits for EHCPs
- Illegal refusals for assessment
- No specialist school places
- Children out of school for months
- Cuts to provision
- Overstretched staff
- Zero accountability
A funding shift in 2028 does nothing for children who need support now.
If your child is out of school today, this reform won’t get them a place tomorrow.
If your EHCP is being ignored, 2028 won’t fix that.
It’s a future promise, not a present solution.
2. Centralising funding could be positive — but only if everything else changes with it
Taking SEND funding out of local authority budgets might reduce the pressure on councils to cut corners or refuse placements.
But unless the Government does all of the following:
- Enforce legal compliance
- Train mainstream teachers
- Reduce waiting times
- Expand specialist school capacity
- Fund therapies properly
- Hold LAs accountable
- Build trauma-informed provision
…then nothing changes for families on the ground.
Funding alone doesn’t create support.
The system needs rebuilding, not just re-budgeting.
3. Local authorities may become even stricter between now and 2028
If councils know they only have to “hold on” until 2028, many parents fear what comes next:
- More refusals to assess
- More battles at tribunal
- More unlawful cuts
- More pressure to “manage within budget”
- More children forced into unsafe mainstream settings
We already see this happening.
LAs are quietly pushing more ND children back into mainstream — calling it “inclusion” — because specialist places cost too much.
This Budget change might increase that behaviour until responsibilities shift.
4. The Government still hasn’t explained how the new system will work
The Budget says central government will pay the full cost — but not how:
- Will EHCP funding move to the Department for Education?
- Will health and social care contributions increase?
- Will councils still manage placements, or will decisions move to national bodies?
- Will parents have more — or less — power to challenge decisions?
No answers.
Just a headline hidden in paragraph 3.28.
5. The SEND system is already broken — and children can’t wait until 2028
SEND families don’t need four-year promises.
They need:
- legal compliance
- accountability
- support
- specialist places
- mental-health provision
- teachers trained in SEND
- trauma-informed practice
- early intervention
- and protection from unlawful decisions
Right now.
Not in the next Parliament.
Not after another review.
Not after more “consultation”.
Children are losing education, mental health, trust, and childhood today.
So what should parents take away from this Budget change?
This funding shift could be a step in the right direction — if it comes with real reform, real accountability, and real support.
But parents must be aware:
- It won’t fix today’s crisis
- It won’t stop unlawful decisions
- It won’t create specialist places overnight
- And local authorities may tighten gatekeeping before 2028
Families still need to fight — and to know their legal rights.
That’s exactly why AskEllie exists:
to help you understand the laws, challenge decisions, and advocate for your child with confidence.
Need personalised help?
If you need one-to-one written support, we now offer a new private response service — completely separate from AskEllie’s free AI tool.
This service exists because of the sheer volume of parents needing urgent help, and every penny goes back into building the AskEllie app to support more families nationally.
You can request details through the Contact Us page on AskEllie.co.uk.
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