Nearly 20 councils in England ‘at risk of insolvency’ due to Send costs

Exclusive: Councils say multibillion-pound debts caused by years of overspends on special educational needs support

• Scores of English councils could go bankrupt when hidden Send debt reappears

Nearly 20 councils have warned publicly that they are at risk of insolvency because of multibillion-pound debts caused by years of overspends on special educational needs support, the Guardian can reveal.

Overspending on special educational needs and disability (Send) services in England is forecast to grow by nearly 2bn over the next 12 months, a Guardian investigation shows.