Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she is making additional resources available to accommodate changes in the number of Education Health and Care Plan applications (a) this and (b) next financial year.

The department is aware not only of the financial pressures that local authorities are facing due to the increasing cost of supporting children and young people with education, health and care (EHC) plans, but also the pressures that the government as a whole is facing because of the financial situation we have inherited. The department is acting as quickly as possible to respond to these cost pressures.

The department is providing schools with almost £1.1 billion in the 2024/25 financial year through the new Core Schools Budget Grant (CSBG), to support with overall costs, including support for young people with EHC plans. Of this total, special schools and alternative provision settings will be receiving over £140 million through the CSBG. The additional funding through the CSBG comes alongside high needs funding for children and young people with complex needs, which totals over £10.75 billion in 2024/25.

Decisions on future funding levels will be for the Spending Review.