If your child needs an EHC plan, where you live changes what happens next. Some Local Authorities issue most plans on time. Others issue almost none. Same law, very different experience.
This is often called the SEND postcode lottery, and the data backs it up. The good news: that data is public, and you can use it. Knowing your Local Authority’s record helps you set realistic expectations, spot when a delay is normal versus when something has gone wrong, and feel steadier when you ask for what your child is owed.
Here is what the key measures mean in plain English, what the national picture looks like, and how to look up your own Local Authority in minutes.
Not sure where you stand yet? The free SEND Rights Quiz gives you a personalised picture of your rights and your next step in a few minutes.
What “EHCP performance” actually measures
An EHC plan (Education, Health and Care plan) is a legal document. It sets out your child’s needs, the support they must get, and where. Local Authorities have legal duties for how quickly they assess and issue these plans. When people talk about Local Authority “performance” on SEND, they usually mean a few specific things.
The 20-week timescale
When you ask the Local Authority for an EHC needs assessment (the formal check the Local Authority does to decide if your child needs a plan), the law sets a clock running. From the date of the request to the final plan being issued, the Local Authority has 20 weeks (gov.uk, checked 14 June 2026). Inside that window there are smaller deadlines too. The Local Authority must tell you whether it will carry out an assessment within 6 weeks of your request (The Special Educational Needs and Disability Regulations 2014, Regulation 5, checked 14 June 2026).
The headline measure is the proportion of new plans issued within that 20-week limit. The higher the better.
Refusal rates
Not every request leads to an assessment, and not every assessment leads to a plan. A Local Authority can refuse to assess, or assess and then refuse to issue a plan. Some Local Authorities refuse far more often than others. A high refusal rate is not proof a Local Authority is wrong, but it tells you how likely you are to face a “no” first.
Tribunal outcomes
If the Local Authority refuses to assess, refuses a plan, or you disagree with what is in the plan, you can appeal to the SEND Tribunal (an independent panel, separate from the Local Authority). Tribunal outcomes show how often parents win. They are one of the clearest signs of whether Local Authorities are getting decisions right first time.
The national picture
Two figures put your Local Authority in context.
In 2025, 46.1% of new EHC plans in England were issued within the 20-week timescale, down from 46.4% the year before (gov.uk, “Education, health and care plans”, reporting year 2026, published 25 June 2026, checked 26 June 2026). So nationally, fewer than half of new plans arrived on time, and it is still getting worse, not better.
This sits on top of a system under real pressure. As at January 2026 there were 718,838 people with an EHC plan in England, up 12.5% in a year, and 110,708 new plans were issued during 2025 (same source). Demand is high and rising fast.
The second figure is about appeals. In the 2024 to 2025 year, around 25,000 SEND Tribunal appeals were registered, and of the appeals that were actually decided, 99% were decided in favour of the appellant (the parent or young person) (gov.uk, “Tribunal Statistics Quarterly: July to September 2025”, checked 14 June 2026). In plain terms: when parents are pushed to appeal and a judge decides the case, they almost always win. That tells you a lot about how many initial Local Authority decisions are wrong.
Why your Local Authority matters more than the average
The national average hides huge variation. Local Authority records on the 20-week measure range from a tiny fraction of plans issued on time to almost all of them. The exact figure for your area is what counts, not the national one.
That is why we built tools to make your Local Authority easy to check.
- The Local Authority Report Cards give you a clear, plain-English read on your own local authority, so you can see how it is doing without digging through spreadsheets.
- The Local Authority League Table lets you compare Local Authorities side by side, so you can see where yours sits against the rest.
Per-Local Authority numbers live in those tools, kept current from the official data. We do not publish made-up figures, and we do not quote a number for your area that we cannot stand behind.
How to look up your Local Authority in 5 minutes
- Open your Local Authority Report Card. Find your local authority and read its summary. Note the share of plans issued within 20 weeks and how that compares to the national 46.1%.
- Check where it ranks. Open the Local Authority League Table and see whether your Local Authority is near the top, middle, or bottom. This is your reality check for what to expect.
- Write down the key numbers. Keep the timeliness figure and the date you checked it. You will use these later.
- Note the official sources. Per-Local Authority figures come from DfE data and Local Authority reporting. Knowing where a number comes from makes it far stronger if you ever need to refer to it.
- Cross-check with the official data if you want. The DfE publishes local authority breakdowns under the supporting files for its EHC plans release on gov.uk. Our tools save you the digging, but the raw data is there too.
How to use what you find
Knowing your Local Authority’s record is not about despair, and it is not a weapon. It is context. Here is how to put it to work, calmly.
Set realistic expectations. If your Local Authority issues most plans late, a delay past 20 weeks is sadly common in your area. That does not make it lawful, but it tells you to plan for it: keep notes, keep dates, and do not assume silence means progress.
Know your deadlines cold. The 6-week decision point and the 20-week limit are legal duties, whatever your Local Authority’s record. If your Local Authority misses them, that is a missed statutory deadline, not just bad luck. You can chase, and you can escalate.
Stay factual, not emotional, on paper. When you write to the Local Authority, lead with dates and duties. “I requested an assessment on [date]. The 20-week deadline was [date]. I have not yet received a final plan.” Calm and specific beats angry every time, and it is far harder to ignore.
Take heart from the tribunal data. If you are heading towards a refusal or a weak plan, remember that of the appeals decided in 2024 to 2025, 99% went the appellant’s way. A “no” from the Local Authority is not the end of the road, and the odds on appeal are not against you.
Get the free expert help you are entitled to. Your local SENDIASS (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Information, Advice and Support Service) offers free, impartial advice, and IPSEA (ipsea.org.uk) has free guidance and template letters, including one for when a Local Authority misses the assessment deadline. This article is information, not legal advice. For your specific case, lean on those services.
A note on the 2026 SEND reforms
You may have read that EHC plans are being scrapped. They are not, at least not now. The 2026 SEND reforms are consultation-stage proposals (the schools white paper and SEND consultation were published on 23 February 2026, with the consultation closing on 18 May 2026; source: gov.uk, checked 14 June 2026). Any statutory shift away from EHC plans is years away, with the first assessments under a new framework not expected before around 2029 to 2030, and the government has said existing EHC plans would not be affected before at least September 2030.
What that means for you today: EHC plans remain fully legally enforceable. The current SEND legal framework stays in force unless and until new legislation is passed. Your Local Authority’s duties on timescales, assessments and provision still stand. Use the data and your rights now. We cover the proposals in more depth in The 2026 SEND Briefing.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good EHCP completion time for a Local Authority?
The legal standard is simple: the Local Authority should issue the final plan within 20 weeks of your request. Nationally, only 46.1% of new plans met that in 2025 (gov.uk, reporting year 2026, checked 26 June 2026), so a Local Authority issuing well above that is doing better than most. The right benchmark is the 20-week duty, not the average.
How do I find my Local Authority’s EHCP waiting times?
Use our Local Authority Report Cards for a plain-English summary of your local authority, and the Local Authority League Table to compare it with others. Per-Local Authority figures are kept current from official data. The DfE also publishes local authority breakdowns on gov.uk if you want the raw numbers.
My Local Authority missed the 20-week deadline. What can I do?
A missed deadline is a missed legal duty. Write to the Local Authority with the exact dates and ask for an update and a clear timescale. If it is not resolved, you can complain and, in some cases, appeal or escalate. IPSEA has a free template letter for late assessment decisions, and your local SENDIASS can advise on your situation.
Does a poor Local Authority record mean my child will not get a plan?
No. A poor record means delays and refusals are more common in your area, so be ready to chase and, if needed, appeal. It is not a verdict on your child’s needs. Remember that of the SEND Tribunal appeals decided in 2024 to 2025, 99% went in the appellant’s favour (gov.uk Tribunal Statistics Quarterly, checked 14 June 2026).
Is this article legal advice?
No. It is information to help you understand the system and your Local Authority. For advice on your specific case, contact your local SENDIASS (free and impartial) or IPSEA (ipsea.org.uk), who offer free, expert SEND guidance.
Start with where you stand
You cannot control your Local Authority’s record, but you can know it, and you can use it. That alone puts you ahead of where most parents start.
Take five minutes with your Local Authority Report Card to see your local picture. Then take the free SEND Rights Quiz to get a personalised view of your rights and your clearest next step. You do not have to work this out alone, and you do not have to work it out from memory.