EHCP Timeline Tracker
Enter the date you submitted your EHC needs assessment request and see exactly where you should be in the 20-week statutory process — plus what to chase if Kent County Council is running late.
What if KCC misses these deadlines?
The 20-week timeframe is statutory — that means KCC is legally required to meet it except in narrow, evidenced circumstances. Here's what to do at each stage of delay.
Week 6 missed — KCC hasn't told you whether they'll assess
Email the SEND case officer asking for the decision in writing the same day. Reference Regulation 5 of the SEND Regulations 2014. If no reply within 5 working days, escalate to the SEND Manager. KCC's silence does not mean refusal — keep pushing.
Week 16 missed — no decision whether to issue a plan
Write to KCC referencing the 16-week limit in the SEND Regulations 2014. Ask for the decision in writing and, if KCC says an exception applies, ask it to identify the provision and revised date. A refusal-to-issue notice carries mediation information and a right of appeal; it does not trigger a 15-day draft-plan comment period.
Week 20 missed — no final EHCP issued
Ask KCC for the final plan or a written explanation immediately and keep every email. You can use KCC's complaints process for administrative delay. Once that process is complete, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman may be able to consider the complaint; there is no automatic “after 12 weeks” rule that replaces checking its current criteria.
Are exceptions ever allowed?
Regulation 13 contains limited exceptions where meeting a time limit is impractical. This tool does not assess them. Ask KCC to identify the exact provision relied on, why it applies to your circumstances and the resulting revised date.
Does going to Tribunal restart the clock?
The ordinary pre-appeal clock does not simply restart. Separate compliance limits in regulation 44 apply to a Tribunal order: an order to assess or reassess requires KCC to notify you within 2 weeks that it will start; an order to make and maintain a plan requires a draft within 5 weeks and a final plan within 11 weeks. Read the order itself because its directions and any applicable exception matter.
Next steps & helpful guides
- Free EHCP request template — if you haven't sent your request yet
- EHCP application Kent — full step-by-step guide including how to formally complain about delays
- EHCP checklist — what to gather and check at each stage
- EHCP solicitors directory — for serious or contested delays
- DLA criteria reflection tool — evidence prompts only; no eligibility or rate prediction