Follow the Money: Why the Right Weaponises the Costs of Supporting Learning Disabled People

Rather than scapegoating disabled people and their families, we should be more transparent about how the money to support them is actually being spent, writes Stephen Unwin

The money spent on supporting disabled people is constantly questioned, often in the most simplistic terms.

To the glee, therefore, of right-wing politicians and journalists, the National Audit Office recently reported that local authorities spend £2 billion every year on transporting disabled children to school.

Meanwhile, reform of the SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) system is endlessly postponed – no doubt because of the political challenge involved in cutting services.