Government special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) reforms fail to take account of burgeoning home-to-school transport costs for local authorities, a committee of MPs has warned.
Ministers have announced plans to write off 90% of the historic deficit from overspending on SEND, which will amount to more than £5bn, with SEND costs to be met from central departmental budgets from 2028-29.
But the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) report said there were still unanswered questions on the plan for any deficits arising between now and 2028 and, while the new arrangements will address SEND cost pressures for councils from 2028-29, they will not cover home-to-school transport costs.
The PAC report said families faced a ‘cliff edge' when children reached 16 with support at local authorities' discretion.
Rachel Gilmour, a member of the PAC, said: ‘We are glad the Government is starting to heed our committee's warnings, stretching back through years of multiple inquiries, and is beginning to grasp the nettle that is the SEND emergency. But a problem this chronic and severe demands a response that does not leave any unanswered questions for children and families. Unfortunately, our inquiry has identified a number of glaring ones for home-to-school transport - a problematic system for parents on which Government spends multiple billions a year not covered by Government's recent announcements.'
A Department for Education spokesperson said: ‘Home to school transport costs have escalated sharply in recent years, driven mostly by the distances many children currently have to travel because local schools are not equipped to meet their needs. Our reforms will change that, putting the right support in schools so no child has to travel miles just to access the education they deserve.
‘Ahead of these reforms, we are already taking action to tackle rising costs by introducing a new national data collection so councils can benchmark spending, creating a bespoke funding formula to direct money where it is needed most, and working to give councils better tools to improve routes serving schools. Taken together we are confident these measures will address the concerns the committee has raised.'
