Freedom of Information Request Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) Tribunal Expenditure
Received: 9 February 2026
Please provide details of total expenditure incurred by the Local Authority in relation to SEND First-tier Tribunal (Special Educational Needs and Disability) appeals, for the last five completed financial years:2019/202020/212021/222022/232023/24(If finalised figures for 2023/24 are not yet available, please provide the most recent provisional data held.)Information requestedFor each financial year listed above, please provide total spend (rounded to the nearest £1,000 if necessary) for the following categories:1. External legal costsIncluding but not limited to:Payments to solicitors, barristers, or legal firms relating to SEND tribunal casesRetainer arrangements for SEND/EHCP tribunal work (please state whether a retainer exists and the annual value)Disbursements and associated legal expenses2. Internal staffing and teamsIncluding:Costs associated with dedicated EHCP tribunal teams, SEND legal teams, or casework teams whose work includes tribunal preparation or attendanceWhere specific tribunal teams do not exist, please provide estimated staffing costs attributable to tribunal-related work (e.g. percentage of role function)3. Complaints and dispute resolution linked to tribunalsIncluding:Costs associated with formal complaints, dispute resolution, mediation, or pre-tribunal processes where these relate to EHCP appeals4. Tribunal-related fees and chargesIncluding:Any payments made by the Local Authority in connection with SEND tribunal proceedings, including payments to HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS), expert witnesses commissioned for tribunal purposes, or other tribunal-related charges where such costs are borne by the Local AuthorityFormat of responsePlease provide the information in a tabular format, broken down by financial year and by category, preferably in Excel or CSV format.Where exact figures are not held, please provide:The best available estimate, andA brief explanation of how the estimate was calculated.ClarificationsThis request relates only to SEND First-tier Tribunal (SENDIST) appeals under the Children and Families Act 2014.If elements of the requested information are not held, please specify which elements and why.If you believe parts of this request may exceed the cost limit under section 12, please provide the remaining information that can be disclosed within the limit, rather than refusing the request in full.Public interestThis information is requested in the public interest to support transparency and understanding of:Local Authority expenditure on SEND dispute processesThe balance of resources between legal contest and early, lawful EHCP provisionSystem-level pressures within SEND services
Outcome / Documents
- Response (all information to be supplied) - application/pdf - Download