Devon County Council has welcomed the Government’s announcement that it will fund 90 per cent of local authorities’ historic Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) deficits.
The decision represents a significant step forward for children, young people and families, and will help stabilise SEND finances, allowing more of Devon’s own resources to be directed into improving support and outcomes for children.
Councillor James Buczkowski, our Cabinet Member for Finance, said:
“This is a very welcome announcement and a major step forward.
“It gives the council greater financial stability in SEND and allows us to focus more of our resources on improving frontline support for children and young people.”
The announcement comes after years of rising demand and costs in SEND services, during which councils have been required to manage increasing pressures within a funding system that has relied heavily on local council tax.
While we welcome the Government’s commitment on SEND deficits, the wider financial pressures remain, particularly in adult social care, children’s services and the cost of delivering services across a large and largely rural county.
Councillor Buczkowski added:
“For too long, councils have faced rising demand while the balance of funding has shifted away from national government and onto local taxpayers.
“Today’s decision (Monday 9 February) helps to relieve some of that pressure in SEND, and that is good news for families across Devon.
“We now need to work through the detail of the announcement, but this puts us in a stronger position to set a 2026 budget that is focused on supporting children and young people and protecting vital services.”
We will now assess the detailed implications of the Government’s announcement as part of its budget-setting process.
The draft 2026–27 budget will be considered by Cabinet on Tuesday 17 February, with Full Council asked to formally approve the budget on Tuesday 24 February.
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