Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the difference in economic productivity between young people with special educational needs and disabilities and those without.

The department does not have an overall assessment of economic activity for those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), and those without. We do have multiple sources of data on the activity of young people of all backgrounds.

The average median annualised earnings for learners who completed a further education course in the 2019/20 academic year and were recorded as having a learning difficulty or disability was £18,140 in the first full tax year after completion. This is slightly below the average for learners with no learning difficulty which is £20,620.

The department knows that not in education, employment or training (NEET) rates are higher for those with a disability. Recent estimates from the Office for National Statistics show that disabled 16 to 24 years olds are approximately three times more likely to be NEET compared to non-disabled 16 to 24 year olds in the UK.

The department acknowledges that this is not good enough, which is why on 2 March 2023 we published the SEND and Alternative Provision (AP) Improvement plan in response to the green paper published in March 2022. This outlines the government’s mission for the SEND and AP system to fulfil children’s potential, build parental trust and provide financial sustainability. This can be accessed here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1139561/SEND_and_alternative_provision_improvement_plan.pdf.