Special needs bill for schools soars to £16bn as IFS issues warning

The share of children receiving special needs support has doubled in a decade and led to a 'dramatic' rise in spending, economists warn today.

In a report, the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) said there was 'worryingly little evidence' on what support works best and called for a full review of the system.

It found that one in 20 pupils (5.2 per cent) aged under 16 in England now have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) – up from 2.7 per cent a decade ago. Some 7.2 per cent receive child disability living allowance (CDLA), up from 3.4 per cent over the same period.

Much of the rise is down to more children receiving support relating to autism and ADHD, the IFS said, with the number of pupils with EHCPs for autism almost tripling from 54,000 in 2015 to 149,000 this year.

There is also evidence such children experience poorer outcomes in early adulthood.