The government has this week outlined its intention to manage councils’ accumulated special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) deficits by announcing it will pay 90% of these deficits.
Stuart McKellar, executive director, resources, said:
“We welcome the government’s announcement that it will write off 90% of dedicated school grant deficits that have built up until the end of the current financial year. More information is needed to enable us to accurately determine the impact on the council’s financial position up to the end of the 2027 to 2028 financial year. This will come from the government in due course.
“At this stage, we expect to be able to access a large proportion of the £23 million reserve we had to set up as part of the council’s safety valve deal with the Department for Education for other purposes. This will provide some much-needed additional financial flexibility for medium-term planning.”
