Explain

Working days

A working day is any day except a Saturday, Sunday, Christmas Day, Good Friday or bank holiday. The SEND Regulations have no rule that moves a time limit ending on a weekend or bank holiday. So those time limits do not move, including the 2 months to contact a mediation adviser. The last day to appeal to the SEND Tribunal does move. If it is not a working day, the appeal is in time on the next working day.

A last day to appeal in August, or from 25 December to 1 January, moves to the first working day after 31 August or 1 January. The next-working-day rule applies to the Tribunal's other time limits too, and anything due under its rules must arrive by 5pm. Some time limits are counted in working days, such as the 3 working days for a mediation certificate. Plenda counts the bank holidays in England; for a freedom of information request, bank holidays anywhere in the UK also do not count. When a date that does not move falls on a weekend or bank holiday, Plenda says so, because offices may be closed that day. When the date given is the day a letter arrived, Plenda counts from 2 working days earlier, to allow for post. That is Plenda's own allowance, not a rule of law.

Type of rule

Law (Act or Regulations)

Rule id

working_day

Rules version

england-2026.10

Law as at

30 September 2026

Sources

• Tribunal Procedure (First-tier Tribunal) (HESC Chamber) Rules 2008, r 1(3)Law (Act or Regulations)
• Tribunal Procedure (First-tier Tribunal) (HESC Chamber) Rules 2008, r 12(2)Law (Act or Regulations)
• Tribunal Procedure (First-tier Tribunal) (HESC Chamber) Rules 2008, r 12(3)Law (Act or Regulations)
• Tribunal Procedure (First-tier Tribunal) (HESC Chamber) Rules 2008, r 12(1)Law (Act or Regulations)
• SEND Regulations 2014, reg 33Law (Act or Regulations)
• SEND Regulations 2014, reg 34(2)Law (Act or Regulations)
• SEND Regulations 2014, reg 34(1)Law (Act or Regulations)
• Freedom of Information Act 2000, s 10(6)Law (Act or Regulations), to verifyStill to confirm against the text of s 10(6): that a working day for a freedom of information request leaves out Christmas Day, Good Friday and bank holidays under the Banking and Financial Dealings Act 1971 in any part of the UK.

Related

• The time limit to appeal
• Mediation adviser and mediation certificate
• When a letter counts as sent, served or received
• Time limits for assessments and plans (6, 16 and 20 weeks)
• The 15-day period to comment on a draft plan

In an assistant, the ehcp_calculate_deadlines tool helps with this: EHCP deadlines.

All words explained · The rulebook