St Helens Council welcomes Government debt pledge on SEND

As reported recently, the Government has said it will spend £5 billion to pay off 90 per cent of the debts councils have built up through supporting children and young people with SEND to the end of the financial year.

This came days after research by the Local Government Association (LGA) suggested eight in 10 councils could face bankruptcy over their mounting SEND costs.

The Government is expected to lay out its full plans for SEND reform in the Schools White Paper in the coming weeks.

St Helens Council has been asked how much debt it currently has from supporting children and young people with SEND.

The council highlighted the latest position which was taken to cabinet in November, adding that there will be further update at the February cabinet meeting.

In a report for cabinet in November, it said it is currently forecast that there will be an "in-year budget pressure of £7.136 million" in relation to the overall dedicated schools grant (DSG).

“However, there is a cumulative net prior year deficit of approximately £1.432 million, resulting in a projected overall deficit balance outturn of £8.568 million as at March 31, 2026,” it added.

“The main area of pressure driving the forecast deficit position relates to expenditure associated with the high needs block of the DSG.”

It also highlighted that ‘high needs’ funding primarily supports provision for pupils and students with SEND, who require additional resources to participate in education and learning.

Cllr Nova Charlton, the council’s cabinet member for children and young people, said: “This announcement is a welcome step forward in helping to reduce financial pressure on the council.

“While a proportion of the deficit remains and a wider system change is still necessary, this progress relieves our position and supports our ongoing commitment to delivering high‑quality services children and young people of the borough who are our number one priority.”