EHCP Numbers Top Half a Million as Ministers Plan Eligibility Restrictions

New Department for Education data reveals that the number of pupils with EHCPs has surpassed 500,000, representing an 11 per cent annual rise that continues to place significant pressure on local authority SEND budgets. The figures highlight the sustained growth in demand for statutory assessments, with mainstream and specialist schools now supporting record numbers of children with identified special educational needs and disabilities. The statistics arrive at a critical juncture as ministers outline plans to reform the SEND system by restricting EHCP eligibility to those with the "most complex needs." This proposed policy shift suggests a move toward differentiating between statutory entitlement and non-statutory support, potentially leaving thousands of children with less severe but still significant needs to rely on mainstream school provision and local early help services without the legal protections of a plan. For Lead Members and cabinet colleagues, these trends underscore the urgent need to consider how local areas will manage demand if narrower eligibility criteria are introduced. The proposals raise pressing questions about the sufficiency of mainstream school support, the capacity of alternative provision, and the financial implications for high-needs block budgets already stretched by rising placement costs and tribunal appeals. As the national SEND reform programme develops, local authorities must prepare for a system where early intervention and mainstream inclusion become even more critical to preventing needs from escalating to crisis point.