Spring Statement 2025: After the Spring Statement, councils still need more than promises to solve the SEND crisis

This week’s Spring Statement comes at a critical juncture for families navigating the UK’s special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system. The proposed welfare reforms and the drive for departmental savings may appear fiscally responsible – but they risk disproportionately impacting those who are already the most vulnerable.

Families of children with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) rely not just on schools, but on a fragile network of support services spanning health, social care, and welfare. Reductions in these services risk shifting even more pressure onto schools and councils already stretched to their limits.

SEND funding: Still a system under strain

The numbers speak for themselves. Since 2015, demand for EHCPs has surged by more than 140%, contributing to over £5 billion in accumulated SEND-related deficits across local authorities. Councils are struggling to meet statutory timelines, manage a growing number of appeals, and provide fair and consistent support.

Shockingly, there remains a 311% variation in top-up funding across different areas. This postcode lottery undermines not just equality but also efficiency – preventing resources from being allocated where they are most needed.

A one-off uplift isn’t enough

While any funding uplift is welcome, one-off injections cannot fix a system held together by outdated models and inconsistent practices. The current framework makes it nearly impossible for local authorities to manage demand sustainably, allocate budgets equitably, or plan with confidence for the future.

We need infrastructure, not just investment

What’s missing from yesterday’s statement is clear: investment in the infrastructure behind better decision-making. At Imosphere, we work closely with local authorities striving to keep pace with increasing complexity and shrinking resources. They don’t just need more funding – they need smarter ways to allocate and manage it.

From short-term fixes to long-term solutions

With the SEND Improvement Plan already in motion, we urge the Government to look beyond budget headlines and toward scalable, evidence-based solutions. That includes:

• Reforming the funding system – not just increasing funding
• Investing in data infrastructure and automation tools
• Supporting national consistency while enabling local flexibility

Yet none of this will deliver lasting impact without one essential ingredient: standardisation.

Standardisation: The foundation for fairness

Until we establish a consistent national approach to assessing need and allocating funding, disparities between local authorities will persist. Improvements made without a standardised foundation risk reinforcing the postcode lottery and squandering scarce resources. Standardisation is the key to transforming short-term fixes into sustainable, long-term change – ensuring every child, in every area, receives the support they deserve.

Let’s build a future-ready SEND system

This Spring Statement may have focused on fiscal restraint, but the future of the SEND system depends on empowering local authorities with the right tools – not just additional pressure to deliver more with less.

At Imosphere, we are ready to work with the Department for Education, HM Treasury, and local government partners to explore how evidence-based tools like Formulate can support national SEND ambitions. Let’s move from reactive spending to proactive strategy- and build a system where no child is left behind.