Parents push back as EHCPs for children with SEND face uncertainty
SEND parents and campaigners are urging the government not to scrap vital legal protections
As whispers grow that the government may be rethinking Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), parents, charities and campaigners are speaking out – warning that any move to abolish the plans could leave thousands of families in crisis.
What are EHCPs and why do they matter?
EHCPs are legally binding documents that set out the specific support a child with SEND is entitled to from their local authority. For many families, these plans are a lifeline – the difference between their child thriving in school or being left behind.
There are currently 638,745 EHCPs in place across England, according to the latest Department for Education data, up nearly 11% in the past year. Requests for new plans are rising fast, too, with over 154,000 assessments requested in 2023 alone.
With those numbers growing, pressure is mounting on the system – but rather than investing in solutions, some fear the government is eyeing cuts.
Parents and experts issue stark warning
In a public letter published in The Guardian, a group of high-profile SEND advocates – including actor and SEND mum Sally Phillips, broadcaster Chris Packham, charity leaders and academics – warned that scrapping EHCPs would be a catastrophic step backwards.
"Without EHCPs in mainstream schools, many thousands of children risk being denied vital provision, or losing access to education altogether," the letter stated. "Families cannot afford to lose these precious legal protections."
Their message is clear: the system might be under strain, but the answer isn’t to remove children’s rights.
What’s the government actually saying?
Appearing on the Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson didn’t rule out changes to EHCPs – but stressed that the government had inherited a broken system and wanted to get reforms right.
“What I can say very clearly is that we will strengthen and put in place better support for children,” she said. “I've been spending a lot of time listening to parents, to disability rights groups, to campaigners and to others... because it's important to get this right.”
The Department for Education later insisted it was “totally inaccurate” to suggest that funding or support might be taken away. In a statement, it said: “We have been clear that there are no plans to abolish SEND tribunals, or to remove funding or support from children, families and schools.”
However, ministers have so far stopped short of explicitly ruling out scrapping EHCPs altogether.
Opposition and concern from across the aisle
Shadow education minister Neil O'Brien accused the government of "broken promises and U-turns", saying it had "no credibility left" after previous backtracks on tax and teacher recruitment.
Meanwhile, Liberal Democrat education spokesperson Munira Wilson said simply discussing the removal of EHCPs would be "a great cause of concern for parents".
“No child, or their family, should face uncertainty over receiving the support they need,” she said.
Even senior voices within Labour have sounded a note of caution. Education committee chair Helen Hayes told BBC Radio 4 that SEND reforms must “build the trust” of parents who have already lost faith in the system. She urged ministers to “learn the lessons” from last week’s rebellion in Parliament over welfare reforms.
Why this matters to families now
For parents navigating the SEND system, EHCPs are often hard-won – many spend months, even years, gathering evidence and fighting through red tape to secure one. A record 1 in 5 pupils in England now receives some form of SEND support, according to government data from June.
So even the hint that this structure could be dismantled is deeply unsettling for families who’ve spent years advocating for their children’s basic rights in school.
And while the Department for Education insists that “no decisions have been taken”, families and SEND experts are calling for clarity – not just warm words.
Because for mums juggling appointments, therapies and school battles on top of daily life, uncertainty is one more burden they shouldn’t have to carry.
What happens next?
The government says more details will come in October, when full proposals for the future of SEND provision are expected.
Until then, campaigners are making their voices heard – urging ministers not to repeat the mistakes of past reforms and to remember that behind every EHCP is a child who just wants to learn and belong.
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Ruairidh is the Digital Lead on MadeForMums. He works with a team of fantastically talented content creators and subject-matter experts on MadeForMums.