white paper · November 2026

WHITE PAPER

The State of Special Needs & Disability Planning in the UK

The first national picture of financial and estate planning for families with a disabled loved one.

One in four people in the UK is disabled, yet most financial and estate plans still assume a child will be independent at 18. For families planning for a son, daughter or grandchild who may need support for life, that assumption can cost them benefits, care and long-term security. This free white paper sets out where the system falls short and what needs to change.

  • New survey findings from professionals across 55 organisations
  • How savings, pensions, tax and benefit rules work against these families
  • Five recommendations for the profession, regulators and Government
  • A 50-page PDF, sent straight to your inbox
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Why it matters

The families your advice reaches, and the ones it misses

Two thirds of the professionals SENDA surveyed think a disability has probably gone unidentified in at least one past case. Only 17% are confident their training covers this kind of planning. The person most affected by the advice is often not in the room. It might be a child, a grandchild or a future beneficiary whose benefits and care depend on decisions made today.

From April 2027, most unused pensions will count towards the estate for inheritance tax. Universal Credit capital limits haven’t moved since 2006. Junior ISAs still hand control to young people at 18, whether or not they have capacity to manage the money. The paper shows how these rules collide, and where advisers, solicitors and providers can step in before harm happens.

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think they have probably missed a disability in a past case
say the industry doesn’t provide enough guidance
say this work needs skills beyond mainstream qualifications
worry that planning could cost someone their benefits or care

Source: SENDA State of Disability Planning survey, 2026, 55 organisations

What’s Inside?

Four sections, five recommendations

SECTION 1

The families who need secure financial futures

Who these families are, the extra costs they carry, and why many disabled people need support long after their parents have died.

SECTION 2

How financial and legal services serve them today

Why disabled family members go unidentified, the age-18 cliff edge, Junior ISAs and Child Trust Funds, pensions and inheritance tax, and what other countries have done differently.

SECTION 3

What our survey told us

Nine findings from professionals across advice, wealth management, law, banking and trusteeship, plus SENDA’s survey of Junior ISA providers.

SECTION 4

Recommendations

Five recommendations, from recognising Special Needs & Disability Planning as a professional specialism to a national Disability Planning Pathway. The section also sets out ten priorities for the next 12 months.

Every figure referenced

Each statistic links to its source in the Notes, so you can cite it with confidence.

Voices from practice

Quotes from families, advisers, solicitors and trustees who see these challenges every day.

See the full picture

Download the free white paper and find out what it means for the families you serve.

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Ready to build this expertise in your firm? SENDA’s accredited training covers the structures, benefit interactions and regulatory considerations behind each recommendation. Find out about our courses

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