Exclusive: Kent County Council (KCC) has admitted to spending over £1.1 billion in legal costs defending Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) tribunal appeals over just four financial years, according to a response under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
In the response dated 7 February 2025, KCC disclosed the following totals:
This brings the total legal expenditure on SEND tribunals from 2020 to 2024 to a staggering £1,145 billion.
To put this in context, the council’s entire net budget requirement by the end of 2023/24 was approximately £1.36 billion. This means that over 84% of the council’s annual budget was effectively spent, across four years, just on legal battles against families seeking SEND provision.
KCC did not provide figures for the 2024–25 financial year, explaining:
“Unfortunately, Kent County Council cannot provide any information regarding the 2024-25 financial year as this has not finished as of the current date.”
The figures were released by the Information Access Officer in the Chief Executive’s Department, under reference number 54777017. The response offered no explanation of the figures, breakdown of the costs, or information on the number or outcome of tribunal cases.
With public services already stretched and national SEND provision under increasing pressure, these figures will likely ignite fresh outrage. Parents and campaigners are expected to question why so much money was channelled into legal defence, rather than directly supporting children with additional needs.
Kent County Council has been contacted for comment.
The Shepway Vox Team
The Velvet Voices of Voxatiousness
