Скачать или смотреть Richard Tice Warns Free Taxi Abuse For SEND Children Could Bankrupt Councils

Richard Tice Warns Free Taxi Abuse For SEND Children Could Bankrupt Councils

Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice has ignited a storm of debate after warning that free school transport for children with special educational needs and disabilities is being stretched beyond sustainable limits. Speaking in Westminster, Richard Tice claimed that some parents are taking advantage of the service, turning what was designed as a lifeline into a costly burden for local authorities. At the centre of the row is the rising cost of send transport, which has surged to nearly two billion pounds this year alone. The demand for free school taxis has increased sharply in recent years, leaving council budgets uk struggling to cope with unprecedented pressure.

The figures are stark. Analysis shows spending on school transport spending has risen more than 200 percent since 2015, with the average cost per child nearing nine thousand pounds annually. These rising costs are not only stretching local resources but also raising wider questions about how the send crisis is managed nationally. Parents of special needs children argue that access to school is vital, yet the system is increasingly portrayed as vulnerable to misuse. According to Richard Tice, reforms are unavoidable if councils are to avoid collapse.

Alongside these warnings, Arooj Shah, who chairs the Local Government Association’s children and young people board, has voiced concern over the scale of local government cuts and the pressure facing councils. She stressed that children should not have to travel long distances due to a lack of nearby provision, and called for urgent send reforms that guarantee fair access while placing the education funding uk system on a stable footing. With forecasts suggesting the bill for SEND transport will rise even further in the coming years, the debate over how to balance fairness with sustainability is intensifying.

For Reform UK, the issue has become a political flashpoint. By spotlighting the financial risks of unchecked transport spending, Richard Tice is pressing the government to rethink policy before councils face bankruptcy. The outcome of this dispute could shape the future of send transport provision, define how services for special needs children are delivered, and determine whether council budgets uk can withstand the pressure.