
Ministers fail to rule out cutting Send school plans after campaigners' concerns
But he could not guarantee that the current system of education, health and care plans (EHCPs), which are issued to give children specialist classroom support, would remain in place.
In a letter shared with the Guardian newspaper, campaigners have said that without the documents in mainstream schools, 'many thousands of children risk being denied vital provision, or losing access to education altogether'.
On Monday, Mr Morgan told broadcaster LBC the current system of support is 'failing children, it's failing parents'.
Asked if concerned campaigners could have no fear that Send support will be scaled back, Mr Morgan replied: 'Absolutely. What we want to do is make sure we've got a better system in place as a result of the reform that we're doing that improves outcomes for children with additional needs.'
But pressed whether the reforms could include scrapping ECHPs, Mr Morgan replied: 'We're looking at all things in the round.
'I'm not going to get into the mechanics today, but this is about strengthening support for system.'
On Sunday, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson would similarly not be drawn on whether the plans will be retained.
'What I can say very clearly is that we will strengthen and put in place better support for children,' she told the BBC.
The Government plans to publish a white paper in the autumn detailing how it will reform support for Send, according to Mr Morgan.
Requests for Send support have risen year-on-year.
In total, there were 638,745 EHCPs in place in January 2025, up 10.8% on the same point last year.
The number of new plans which started during 2024 also grew by 15.8% on the previous year, to 97,747.
Requests for children to be assessed for EHCPs rose by 11.8% to 154,489 in 2024.
In a letter to the Guardian, campaigners including the heads of charities, professors, Send parents including actor Sally Phillips, and campaigners including broadcaster Chris Packham warned against scrapping ECHPs as part of any overhaul of support.
'Whatever the Send system's problems, the answer is not to remove the rights of children and young people. Families cannot afford to lose these precious legal protections,' they said.
MPs have warned ministers have not been clear about their plans, and could face a rebellion akin to last week's welfare Bill revolt, according to the Guardian.
In a signal the Government is willing to square up to its rebellious backbenchers, Mr Morgan told ITV's Good Morning Britain that Labour MPs had 'stood on a platform a manifesto commitment to reform the Send system'.
He also would not be drawn into suggestions by Good Morning Britain that the reforms were a cost-cutting measure being driven by the Treasury.
'Well, look at the figures. We've actually put more money into the Send system, the £1 billion for high needs announced last year,' he replied to the question.
Amid mounting pressure from MPs to scrap the two-child benefit cap, the minister said 'nothing has changed' in the Government's plans, which will see a child poverty strategy report back in the autumn.
Mr Morgan added: 'We're looking at all levers to bring down child poverty, but that's got to be fiscally done well, and obviously we need to grow our economy.'
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ITV News
33 minutes ago
- ITV News
Mouldy food and rat infestations: Children face 'almost-Dickensian' levels of poverty
Some young people in England are living in an "almost-Dickensian level of poverty" and it's a crisis that can't be ignored, the Children's Commissioner said, as she insisted the two-child benefit limit must be scrapped. Children spoke of food packages that were mouldy and out of date, rats biting through the walls and black mould making them ill, in a new report published on Tuesday which reveals the "real hardship" facing some families. Launching the report, Children's Commissioner for England, Dame Rachel de Souza, said children spoke to her about the shame that comes from knowing you have less. However, she pointed out that "as one of the richest societies in the world, it is decision makers who should be ashamed". The latest official estimates, for the year to March 2024, suggest there were a record 4.45 million children living in poverty in the UK. The government's child poverty unit commissioned the new research and will help shape its forthcoming child poverty strategy, which is expected in the autumn. De Souza said that it is "very clear that any child poverty strategy must be built on the foundation of scrapping the two-child limit", following calls from a number of charities. The cap, introduced in 2017, prevents parents claiming Universal Credit or child tax credits for a third child, except in very limited circumstances. Youth organisations argue that 109 children across the UK are pulled into poverty by the two-child cap every day, and approximately 350,000 children would be lifted out of poverty at once if it were binned. There are concerns that the r ecent welfare U-turn by the Government, which left them with a financial blackhole instead of over £5 billion in savings, means the two-child benefit cap may be here to stay. Concerns have been stoked further by Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson's comments over the weekend, when she said spending decisions have been made "harder" since changes to welfare reform plans. Estimates for the cost of scrapping the policy vary, from around £2.6 billion to £3.5 billion by 2030. The new report, based on the experiences of 128 children across the country between January and March this year, noted a range of concerns, including lack of access to quality, healthy food and living in cramped and poor conditions. One child spoke of receiving mouldy food packages, saying "I know I'm poor but I'm not going to eat mouldy food." Another spoke of a mould problem that "was making me so ill", but it was not properly fixed by the council, leaving "a hole in our floor." Dame Rachel de Souza said that "children shared harrowing accounts of hardship, with some in almost-Dickensian levels of poverty". "They don't talk about 'poverty' as an abstract concept but about not having the things that most people would consider basic: a safe home that isn't mouldy or full or rats, with a bed big enough to stretch out in, 'luxury' food like bacon, a place to do homework, heating, privacy in the bathroom and being able to wash, having their friends over, and not having to travel hours to school," she said. While commending "some positive steps by the Government to get more money into families' pockets", she urged "bold, practical measures that break the link between a child's background and their opportunities". In addition to calling for the two-child benefit limit, Dame Rachel urged for a commitment to a "triple-lock" for uprating all child-related benefits. She also called for additional proposals, including free bus travel for all school-age children in England, priority for housing to be given to children in low-income households, auto-enrolment for free school meals for all eligible children, improved communication and data-sharing between schools, GPs and local authorities. A Government spokesperson said: "We are determined to bring down child poverty. We've just announced a new £1 billion package to reform crisis support, including funding to ensure the poorest children do not go hungry outside of term time. "This comes alongside the expansion to free breakfast clubs, investing #39 billion in social and affordable housing, increasing the national minimum wage and supporting 700,000 of the poorest families by introducing a Fair Repayment Rate on Universal Credit deductions. "As part of our plan for change, the Child Poverty Taskforce will publish an ambitious strategy later this year to ensure we deliver fully-funded measures that tackle the structural and root causes of child poverty across the country."


Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Why those born in the 1990s could face a state pension age of 74... here's how to protect yourself
Sticking with raising the state pension according to the popular 'triple lock' while keeping the bill affordable could be bad news for people in their 30s and younger. A high profile think tank report last week included a reminder about government modelling on how to limit public spending on the state pension to below 6 per cent of national income, To achieve this AND retain the triple lock guarantee - by which payments are increased by at least 2.5 per cent a year - the state pension age would have to rise to 69 by 2048–49, and then jump to 74 by 2068–69. The new pension review from the Institute for Fiscal Studies called on the Government to promise to never means-test the state pension. It's view is that the state pension age should only rise as longevity at older ages rises, but by less than that - meaning the average time spent receiving the state pension would increase. So how likely are drastic state pension age rises, and how do you protect your savings and get them on the path to a comfortable retirement. Savings plan: Opting out of pensions when you're young has an outsize impact on your eventual fund, because you miss out on compound growth - scroll down to find out more What are current plans for raising the state pension age? The state pension is currently almost £12,000 a year if you have paid enough in to receive the full amount. The qualifying age is 66, and between 2026 and 2028 it will rise to 67 - but the next rise to 68 is still up in the air. Officially, it is not scheduled until the mid 2040s, which would affect those born on or after April 1977. The Government is required by law to review the state pension age periodically. However, the last two reports in 2017 and 2023 recommended speeding up the increase to 68 - and then went ignored. The next review isn't due until spring 2029, but Labour might take as little notice of any findings as the Tories. Denmark's government recently moved to hike its retirement age to 70 by 2040, reigniting the debate about what might happen here. Money experts pointed out raising the state pension age was going to carry on being a political hot potato, and future changes would have to be carried out with care. One noted that raising the state pension age risks hitting those most dependent on it the hardest. Meanwhile, the minimum pension age for accessing workplace and other private retirement savings is due to rise from 55 to 57 from April 2028. Governments have in the past tended to keep the state pension and private pension ages roughly 10 years apart, so any future increases could well continue to happen in tandem. What does the IFS say about the state pension age? In its influential new pensions report, the Institute for Fiscal Studies said the state pension age should be linked to rises in longevity. But it suggested that the qualifying age is raised by less than that, so the average time people receive the payments for would go up. It notes that longevity at older ages during the late 20th century and early 21st century increased dramatically. It adds: 'Increasing the state pension age is a reasonable way for a government to control the increased public finance pressures arising from rising longevity at older ages. 'Our modelling shows that increasing the state pension age by one year would save the exchequer around £6billion per year.' But it points out the 'different distributional effect' of using age rises to control the rising cost of the state pension. 'Retaining the triple lock while raising the state pension age would hit poorer people more because the loss of a year of state pension income is more important for those with lower life expectancy (which poorer people tend to have), as they spend fewer years above the state pension age. 'On the other hand, those with a higher life expectancy benefit relatively more from the triple lock, as they are more likely to be receiving a generously indexed state pension in their 90s and beyond.' The IFS says its stance of only raising the state pension age as longevity at older ages rises leaves room to prioritise increasing, or holding down, the state pension age to different extents. It is also consistent with keeping the ratio of adult life spent above the state pension age constant, it says. 'The current government should clearly set out a plan for when we will get to a state pension age of 68 – and specifically whether this should be brought forward. 'This is particularly timely and important now, as both independent reviews of the state pension age have sensibly recommended that any changes to the state pension age be communicated to people at least 10 years in advance. 'The government should promptly conduct a new review of the state pension age, using the latest projections of longevity, and make a swift decision on when (not if) these increases should come in.' Looking ahead: Don't opt out of pensions unless you are suffering serious hardship, despite other financial pressures and priorities In your 30s or younger? What should you do to plan ahead Auto enrolment means younger workers are nudged into saving minimum amounts towards retirement, which should generate a fund that combined with the state pension provides an adequate but not luxurious lifestyle. It's important not to opt out unless you are suffering serious hardship, despite other pressures and priorities like buying a property and starting a family. This is not just because you are harming your future finances, but delaying or pausing pension contributions while you are young has an outsize impact on your eventual retirement fund. The stark reality was shown in a recent study by Standard Life, which found putting off starting a pension for five years in your 20s can create a £40,000 hole in your savings - see below. That is because you miss out on the power of compound growth, which is hugely beneficial if you start young because it has more time to work. Compound growth means because any investment return stays in your pot, you then make a return on that higher amount, and then a return on that even larger sum, and so on over and again. You might start with a small contribution to a pension, but making returns on your returns will still have an exponential effect in the longer run. How much delaying pension saving can cost you Under auto enrolment, the minimum contribution is 8 per cent of your earnings that fall between £6,240 and £50,270. But this is split three ways, with you putting in 4 per cent, your employer contributing 3 per cent, and the Government adding 1 per cent in tax relief. If you put in more, many employers will increase their contributions too. Dean Butler of Standard Life offers the following tips to young people on saving a decent pension. 1. Make sure you're taking advantage of all the benefits of your pension plan and of the support offered by your employer - a higher contribution matching scheme, for example. 2. If you get a bonus, receive overtime pay, get a pay rise or have a little extra savings, think about paying more into your pension. 3. Keep an eye on your investments, and the returns they're giving you. Higher-risk investments potentially see more growth over the long term, but their value might be more volatile. In your 20s, you might feel happier with some higher-risk investment, as your pension has more time to potentially recover from dips in the market – but this won't be right for everyone.


BBC News
2 hours ago
- BBC News
BCP Council 'insolvent' due to SEND debt, leader says
A council is facing an "imminent financial threat" because of rising demand for special educational needs and disability (SEND) services, its leader has Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council leader Millie Earl said the increasing cost was not fully funded by the a letter to Deputy Prime Minister and Local Government Secretary Angela Rayner, she said the authority would have a £171m shortfall by March 2026 and was "technically insolvent".The government previously said it had set aside £760m over two years to reform the SEND system in England and plans would be announced in a White Paper this autumn. Earl said the authority had run SEND budget deficits since said it would soon cost £7.5m a year just to service the accumulated Liberal Democrat's letter said: "We have had to consider further cuts to vital services including environmental services, play provision and support services in our most deprived communities, because this issue has not been resolved."More than half of councils had warned they would become insolvent when the system to defer payment to pay for SEND services, the statutory override, was due to end next year, she deadline was later extended to 31 March told the Deputy Prime Minster: "[Councils] still need to provide the cash to fund the services being provided, and it does not solve the problem of who will pick up the bill when the override ends."She proposed that the government should pick up the bill for borrowing costs on SEND Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has been approached for the government said it had inherited a system "left on its knees". You can follow BBC Dorset on Facebook, X, or Instagram.