Councils Overspend £415m on Home School Transport amid Rising Care Costs

Councils in England are facing significant financial pressures related to services for children and young people, particularly in home to school transport and children's social care. The National Audit Office reported a £415 million overspend on home to school transport in 2023/24, with costs rising sharply due to increased demand for transport for children with special educational needs and disabilities. Meanwhile, Suffolk County Council anticipates an £8.2 million overspend in its children's services budget, driven by the rising cost of specialist private placements for children with complex needs, which can reach up to £25,000 per week. This trend aligns with a National Audit Office report highlighting that rising residential care costs are linked to a record number of children in care and their increasing complexity of needs. Councils like Bexley are also struggling with budget overspends, though some report smaller gaps compared to neighbors facing much larger deficits. Efforts to manage these pressures include building more council-run residential homes to reduce reliance on expensive private placements and calls for government reforms to address the unsustainable expenditure growth.