POLL OF THE DAY: Should the Government scale down the rights of children with less severe special needs?
Currently families of children with any additional needs are able to obtain a legal document from councils guaranteeing them expensive extra support.
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By DAILY MAIL REPORTER
Published: 12:08 GMT, 2 January 2026 | Updated: 12:10 GMT, 2 January 2026
Ministers are set to clash over plans to scale down the rights of children with less severe special needs.
Currently families of children with any additional needs are able to obtain a legal document from councils guaranteeing them expensive extra support.
A rise in diagnoses of mild ADHD and autism has clogged up the special educational needs and disabilities (Send) system, meaning those with severe issues such as blindness are facing long wait times for education, health and care plans (EHCPs).
EHCPs were only intended for severe circumstances, but now children with more moderate needs are also on waiting lists because parents do not feel support is available at schools.
Government sources say in future only those with severe needs will be able to attain EHCPs and milder cases will be dealt with at school level, with an extra £3billion allocated to provide support including classroom assistants.
The plans, anticipated to be unveiled by Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson in a white paper, are likely to prompt a rebellion from backbench Labour MPs.
But what do you think about the reforms? Have your say in the Daily Mail’s latest poll.
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