Northamptonshire council spent £1m fighting SEND families and won 3% of cases
West Northamptonshire Council spent £1,083,312 on legal costs defending special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) tribunal appeals from 2022/23 to January 2026, according to figures reported by the NN Journal in April 2026. Of cases heard in 2025/26, only 3% were dismissed in the council's favour; 65% were upheld or partly upheld for parents and about a third were withdrawn by the council before hearing. Appeals lodged rose to 277 by the end of January 2026, from 191 in 2024/25. The council's cabinet member said the costs were "unavoidable under the current national system". Nationally, LBC reported in January 2026 that parents lost fewer than 150 of about 14,000 appeals that reached tribunal.
these costs are unavoidable under the current national system
We can't have a situation where parents are desperate to get the right support for their children.
Said "these costs are unavoidable under the current national system" and cited progress on EHCP timeliness.
"No-one wants to see taxpayers' money spent on appeals and tribunals."
No outcome recorded yet.