The UK government announced it will transfer responsibility for rising special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) costs from local councils to departmental budgets by 2028–29, and ministers insisted the move will not reduce mainstream school funding. The change addresses mounting council SEND debts that had been masked by a statutory override. The Office for Budget Responsibility warned the move could create a £6bn funding gap absent identified savings; unions and local authorities have raised concerns. For higher-education institutions and teacher‑education programs, the policy signals potential downstream effects on teacher training demand, local educational partnerships, and funding for special‑needs pathways — areas for university policy teams and partnership managers to monitor. (Source: government budget announcement and OBR analysis.)