Petition · Department for Education

Automatic Mandatory Penalties if Local Authorities miss Statutory SEND deadlines

Closed 410 signatures

What the petition asks

Figures show nearly all parents in England forced to go to SEND tribunal win, and the number of SEND tribunals has risen. The government should hold Local Authorities legally responsible for families' emotional distress, ensuring automatic penalties for those that miss statutory SEND deadlines.
We believe that some Local Authorities who do not adhere to Regulatory deadlines are not held accountable for emotional distress forced on families. Currently, we feel some LAs use the LGO and Tribunal as an extension of their deadlines to buy more time, and that it discriminatorily adds additional pressure to families, who already work hard to support their children.

Timeline

13 Oct 2025 Petition opened for signatures
13 Apr 2026 Closed to new signatures

Key facts

Signatures 410
Status Closed
Department Department for Education
Opened 13 Oct 2025
Closed 13 Apr 2026

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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 27 Jul 2026.