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£10 million committed in response to COVID-19
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Support targeted at low-income families
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Children’s Minister: This new funding will directly
benefit tens of thousands of families
Children with special educational needs and disabilities in
England will benefit from £37.3 million of direct support in
2020-21, which is expected to help more than 75,000 families in
England.
Families with children that have complex needs and
disabilities will receive grants for vital equipment to make
their lives easier while implementing social distancing measures,
including computers, specialist equipment and educational
toys.
£10 million of the total has been committed specifically in
response to the unique difficulties presented by the coronavirus
pandemic, helping parents educate and look after
disabled or critically ill children who are staying at home more
than usual.
The multi-million-pound settlement, detailed today by Children
and Families Minister , will help low-income families
with seriously ill or disabled children with the cost of
equipment, goods or services - from washing machines and
refrigerators to sensory and educational equipment that they
might not otherwise be able to afford. The grants are typically
worth £400 to £500 per family, but vary depending on need.
Children and Families Minister said:
“Our first priority remains the safety and wellbeing of
vulnerable children, including those with special educational
needs and disabilities. I know that these unprecedented times may
put additional pressure on families, particularly those whose
children have the most complex needs, and these parents deserve
some extra help to look after and educate them at home.
“From computers and tablets to household items that many of us
take for granted, this new funding will directly benefit tens of
thousands of families, making sure parents of children with
special educational needs and disabilities get the support they
need at this difficult time and beyond.”
Cheryl Ward, Chief Executive of the Family Fund
Trust, said:
“Family Fund welcomes this commitment of an additional £10
million in emergency funding. It will make an incredible
difference to thousands of families in England during this
crisis, providing practical and essential grant support to help
improve the quality of life and ease some of the additional daily
pressures faced in these difficult times by many disabled
children and their families.”
Dame Christine Lenehan, Director of the Council for
Disabled Children, said:
“I am delighted that the government has recognised the
needs of the most complex children with disabilities at this
critical time . The Family Fund provides support for some of the
poorest families and £37 million will make a real difference to
meet the direct challenges they face. Continued support and a
refreshed SEND review, as soon as is reasonably practicable, will
be needed to keep momentum in this area.”
Further information:
- While vulnerable children,
including those with Education, Health and Care plans are able to
take up places at school, a number will continue to be educated
at home during this time as local authorities, schools and
parents will have conducted a risk assessment and agreed the
child is currently safer at home.
- In August 2019, the
Government announced £14 billion total additional investment in
primary and secondary education across the next three years,
including £780 million extra for children with SEND in 2020-21.
This investment delivered on the Prime Minister’s pledge to
ensure every pupil can reach their potential – including looking
at the support in schools for children with less complex special
educational needs.
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The Department for Education’s review of the SEND
(special educational needs and disabilities) system is looking
at how to make sure children and young people with SEND receive
the highest quality support, how it can help parents to make
decisions about what kind of support will be best for their
child, and to support children and young people to thrive as
they prepare for adulthood, including employment.
