Mar 13, 2025, itv.com: Councils spent more than £10m [$13M] fighting tribunals over child special needs support
More than £10 million [$13M] has been spent by councils fighting parents in tribunals over support for children with special educational needs, ITV News can reveal.
Parents unhappy with provisions offered by their local authority can lodge an appeal with the SEND tribunal, an independent national body.
According to freedom of information data from upwards of 80 councils across England, the number of appeals being lodged has soared in recent years – from 3,571 in 2021/22 to 6,971 in 2023/24.
Meanwhile, responses from more than 50 local authorities reveal that upwards of £13.1 million [$17M] has been spent on the costs associated with these tribunals over the past three financial years.
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