Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP)

Offered by Department for Education and local authorities

England's statutory plan for children and young people up to age 25 who need more support than ordinary special educational needs support provides.

An Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan is a statutory plan in England for a child or young person up to age 25 who needs more support than is available through ordinary special educational needs support.

The plan identifies educational, health, and social-care needs and records the additional support required. A parent can ask the local authority for an EHC needs assessment; a young person age 16 to 25 can request one directly, and other people such as teachers or health professionals may also make a request.

GOV.UK says the local authority tells the family within 16 weeks whether it will make a plan and, when a plan is made, must issue the final plan within 20 weeks of receiving the assessment request. Appeal rights apply to several local-authority decisions.

Program details can change. Confirm current eligibility, availability, costs, and application requirements with the official source before acting.

Eligibility

The child or young person must need more educational support than is available through ordinary SEN support. The local authority decides whether an assessment and plan are necessary.

How to apply

Ask the local authority for an EHC needs assessment. A parent, a young person age 16 to 25, or another person who believes an assessment is necessary can make the request.

At a glance

• Funding type: government funded
• Delivery: hybrid
• Services: Statutory needs assessment, Education support planning
• Cost notes: There is no application fee. The plan records agreed provision; delivery and funding are arranged through the responsible public bodies.

Source and verification

Last source check: July 28, 2026

Check the current program details at the cited source. Eligibility, funding, availability, fees, and application steps can change.

Open the official application or registration page

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