He reported that at present, councils are able to keep their SEND spending deficit separate from their main accounts, which helps them set a balanced budget, but that's due to end in March this year.

A Local Government Association survey issued on this proposed change found that over 50% of the councils that responded would not be able to balance their budgets if the process was removed and could push them into insolvency. This has left many parents and guardians worried about how this will impact their children and the SEND support they receive.

Sarah Fountain, a Little Miracles parent, said:

"If they do start cutting costs, there are even less places to send my 16-year-old which is quite scary for him, because what do I do with him? Where does he go? He can't be on his own."

Michelle King, CEO of Little Miracles Charity, is concerned that if the change does result in SEND cuts that it will put additional pressures on families that will then increase financial pressures and service strain on other Local Authority departments.

She points out that in Sarah's case for example, if her son doesn't get the school placement he deserves then this will not save the government money but simply result in spending elsewhere; a parent might have to give-up work to look after him and therefore need to claim benefits, or social care will need to fund services to look after him.

Michelle said: 

"Families are already having to fight to get the support that they need, and that support that they are entitled to. Anything that means the budget is going to decrease is going to have a negative effect on families. "There are going to be more families forced into home educating, more families where children are out of education."

Peterborough City Council is yet to confirm if it responded to the LGA survey.