ITV News analysis found that several councils spent more than half a million pounds fighting cases, as Political Reporter Jasmine Cameron-Chileshe reports.
Parents unhappy with provisions offered by their local authority can lodge an appeal with the SEND tribunal, an independent national body.
According to freedom of information data from upwards of 80 councils across England, the number of appeals being lodged has soared in recent years – from 3,571 in 2021/22 to 6,971 in 2023/24.
Meanwhile, responses from more than 50 local authorities reveal that upwards of £13.1 million has been spent on the costs associated with these tribunals over the past three financial years.
Kent County Council recorded the highest figures, spending more than £2 million over the three-year period. Warwickshire County Council spent just over £1 million during the same time frame, while Cambridgeshire County Council spent £910,000.
Mother-of-one Danielle Chapman is one of hundreds of parents who have lodged an appeal against Kent County Council in recent years.
She began tribunal proceedings against the council in 2022 after becoming frustrated by the lack of support offered for her seven-year-old son Tommy, who is autistic.
Her ten-month long tribunal, which centered on concerns over Tommy’s Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) – a document detailing required support for SEND children – left her emotionally drained. Danielle’s complaint was partially upheld by the tribunal.
"It is emotionally draining – it’s all-encompassing,” she told ITV News. “Going through the tribunal itself, it broke me, it absolutely destroyed me. If I didn’t have Tommy and if I didn’t have my family by me, I think I would have had a breakdown, and I don’t say that lightly.”
According to a recent report by the Public Accounts Committee, while just 2.5% of local authority decisions relating to EHCPs were appealed through tribunals in 2023, most cases – 98% – ruled partially or wholly in parents’ favour.
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