The EHCP timeline: every deadline from request to final plan
The full EHCP process timeline: 6 weeks for the assessment decision, the 15-day draft response window, 8 weeks to finalise, and the 20-week total — plus what to do when the council misses each deadline.
The EHCP process runs on statutory clocks. Missing them is common — but every missed deadline is also evidence you can use. Here is the whole timeline.
Weeks 0–6: the assessment decision
You (or the school) request an EHC needs assessment. The council must tell you its decision and the reasons within 6 weeks of the request. If it refuses, you can appeal to the SEND Tribunal.
Weeks 6–14: assessment and drafting
The council gathers advice from you, the school, health and social care. There is no fixed length, but the total clock keeps running.
Week ~14–16: the draft plan arrives
You receive a draft with no school named (Section I blank). From the date it was sent you have at least 15 days to: make comments and amendment requests, require a meeting with an officer, and name your preferred school.
Weeks 16–20: final plan
After the representation window, the council must respond and issue the final plan — within 8 weeks of the window closing. The whole process must finish within 20 weeks of your original request (SEND Regulations 2014).
When deadlines are missed
- Ask, in writing, for the new date and the reason for the delay — this creates a paper trail.
- Complain through the council's complaints process; persistent delay can go to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.
- Judicial review exists for serious delay — a letter from a solicitor often moves things quickly (legal aid can be available for delay challenges).
After the final plan
Annual reviews at least yearly, appeals within 2 months of the final plan, and — remember — the draft-response window is where families win or lose the most. Our free checker tells you exactly where you are in this timeline.