The government has said it will write off 90% of the SEND services deficit accumulated by Devon County Council to the end of March this year.
The Devon deficit reached £171 million last October, among the largest in the country and £62.9 million more than the limit agreed with the government as part of its “safety valve” deal, according to a county cabinet report published last month.
Devon County Council leader Julian Brazil said it had since risen to around £200 million.
The council welcomed the announcement, although it will have to agree to change the way it offers SEND services under as-yet unpublished government plans, adding that it would need to “work through the detail” as part of its budget-setting process.
