Parents, charities, and teachers across England are warning that new Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) reforms could make it harder for disabled children to get the support they need.
Under the government's new plans, local councils will move to a more "standardised" national system for assessing children's needs and agreeing Education, Health and Care (EHC) plans.
Ministers say the changes are designed to reduce long delays, end "postcode lotteries," and make the system more financially sustainable. They argue that clearer rules and national standards will help families understand what support they can expect and when, according to The Guardian.
What Parents and Charities Fear
However, many parents fear that the reforms are driven mainly by cost-cutting and could lead to stricter thresholds for support. Parent groups say they are already struggling to secure speech therapy, classroom assistants, and specialist school places for their children.
They worry that new national "bands" of support will give councils a reason to limit help and deny EHC plans to children who would have qualified before.
Charities supporting families with autism, learning disabilities, and complex medical needs say they are seeing a rise in appeals and legal challenges. They warn that if access to EHC plans is tightened further, more children will be left without the right support in mainstream classrooms, leading to distress, behavioural crises, and school exclusions.
Some campaigners describe the proposals as a "stealth cut" that risks pushing already exhausted families to breaking point.
Teachers and headteachers also have concerns. Many schools say they are under intense pressure from budget constraints, rising needs, and staff shortages. Without properly funded support services, they argue, any move to limit individual plans will simply shift the burden onto general school resources.
Unions are calling for clearer guarantees that national standards will be backed by ring‑fenced funding and enough specialist staff, allfie reported.
Government Response and Parent Resistance
The government insists that the reforms are not about reducing help, but about making the system fairer and more efficient. Officials point to pilots of new "SEND improvement" areas and promise better training for teachers, more early intervention, and closer working between health, education, and social care.
Parents remain sceptical. Many say they have heard similar promises before, only to face long waits, repeated assessments, and battles with local authorities. Several campaign groups are now preparing petitions, consultation responses, and possible legal action, saying they will fight any changes that leave disabled children worse off, as per the BBC.
