Check your EHCP deadlines
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Where is your case right now?
Your dates
Your case ledger
Computed against today's date.
The law is the same for every council in England. Case Manager applies it to your dates: it works out each deadline, emails you seven days and one day before, and has the complaint letter ready if the council misses one. One subscription covers up to four children.
£29 a month. Cancel from your account at any time and your case stays readable.
Email me these dates
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This is legal information based on the SEND Regulations 2014, not legal advice on your individual case. Councils can lawfully pause some clocks in four narrow situations, for example a school closed for four or more weeks over summer. For advice on your case, contact IPSEA or your local SENDIASS.
What the EHCP deadline checker covers
The checker computes every statutory deadline that applies at your stage of the EHCP process, from a table of time limits taken directly from the SEND Regulations 2014 and checked against the legislation as published. Each result shows the date, the exact regulation, and whether the council is on time, late, or nearly due.
| Your stage | Deadlines the checker computes | The law |
|---|---|---|
| You have asked for an assessment | The council's 6 week decision; the 16 week no-plan decision; the 20 week final plan | Regs 5(1), 10(1), 13(2) |
| The council said no | Your 2 month appeal window, and how the mediation certificate changes it | Tribunal Rules, r.20(1)(c) |
| You have a draft plan | Your 15 day response window; the 20 week final plan deadline | Regs 13(1), 13(2) |
| There is a final plan | The 12 month annual review cycle and the decision deadlines after the meeting | CFA 2014, s.44(1); regs 20 to 22 |
| Changing school phase | The 15 February and 31 March amendment deadlines, which have no exceptions | Reg 18 |
Why the exact dates matter
Everything in the EHCP process runs from dates on letters: the day your request arrived, the day a decision letter was sent, the day the draft plan landed. A council that is late is in breach of a legal duty, but only if you can show the dates. Parents who can quote "the 20 week deadline under regulation 13(2) passed on 14 March" get taken seriously in a way that "this is taking ages" never does. If a deadline has already passed, our guide on what to do when the council misses a deadline gives you the escalation steps, and your council's own timeliness record shows how common late plans are where you live. If you have not applied yet, start with the free eligibility checker instead.
Common questions
How long does an EHCP take from start to finish?
The legal maximum is 20 weeks from the day the council receives your request to the final EHC plan (SEND Regulations 2014, reg 13(2)). Inside that sit two earlier deadlines: the council must decide whether to assess within 6 weeks (reg 5(1)), and if it assesses but decides not to issue a plan it must tell you within 16 weeks (reg 10(1)). In practice only 46.1% of new plans were issued inside 20 weeks in 2025, which is exactly why checking your own dates matters.
When does the 20 week clock start?
On the date the council receives your request for an EHC needs assessment, or the date it becomes responsible because someone else brought your child to its attention. It does not start when the council acknowledges the request, opens a file, or holds a panel. That is why the checker asks for the date your request arrived.
What if a deadline falls in the school summer holidays?
Most deadlines still stand. The regulations allow four narrow exceptions, and only some clocks can pause. For example, the 6 week decision deadline and the 20 week deadline can be affected where a school is closed for at least four weeks, but the phase transfer deadlines of 15 February and 31 March have no exceptions at all. The checker knows which clocks can lawfully pause and which never can.
Is the deadline checker free and private?
Yes. It is free, needs no account, and runs entirely in your browser. The dates you enter are never sent to us or stored anywhere outside your device. If you choose to email yourself the results, we use that address to send them and nothing else without asking.