Apply for school transport

Before you apply

You have to apply for school transport first. There is a question on the form which asks 'are you interested in a personal transport budget?' If you would like your case to be reviewed, please tick yes and follow the instructions.

What is a personal transport budget?

A personal transport budget is a payment designed to help you make arrangements to ensure your child can access school. You must be eligible for travel assistance, and the council will award travel assistance making the most appropriate use of public funds. The budget is granted at our discretion and is not automatically given upon request.

You can use the budget in any way you wish to ensure your child attends school every day, on time, and in a fit state to learn. For example, it can help towards covering the cost of a school club, childminder for other children within the family, allowing you, a family member, or a friend to take the entitled student to and from school.

The payment is a fixed amount, based on proximity, and bears no relationship to the cost of a taxi or hired vehicle.

Please read the guidance notes below before completing your application.

Guidance notes

How much you can expect to receive

The amount of money awarded is based on the distance between your home and the school your child attends. Many available maps and internet-based measuring tools will give you an indication of the distance from your home to your child’s school, but this is only an indication. The distance is measured by a straight line (as the crow flies), and our own measuring software is used to determine this. For fairness and consistency, the same software is used for all applications.

There are four distance bands in which you would expect to receive a payment:

• Band 1: less than 5 miles, £2,000
• Band 2: between 5 to 9 miles, £3,000
• Band 3: between 10 to 19 miles, £5,000
• Band 4: over 20 miles, £8,000

Payments are made based on your child attending school for the number of days in each academic year. If your child attends school fewer days than a full-time student, we will make your payment on a pro-rata basis. This means you will receive less than the total amount outlined above.

If your child is absent from school, even if through no fault of their own, your payment will be reduced to account for the reduction in required travel. Free school transport is not available for work experience or additional journeys the school requires your child to take. You will be notified of any reduction in payment before any payment is due to be paid.

Leaving school

The payment is not guaranteed to be provided until a child leaves their current school.

We will review your child’s payment at least once a year. The review will evaluate whether it remains cost-effective for the payment to be provided, and new transport options may mean this is no longer the case. The review will also check your child’s attendance records to ensure they are being taken to school.

If your child’s attendance at school is not sufficient to continue your payment, or if more cost-effective transport is available, your payment may be withdrawn. If this happens, we’ll give you 28 days’ notice.

If your child is no longer eligible for transport or if their EHCP ceases to be maintained, the payment will be withdrawn.

If your circumstances change

If your child moves home or changes school, you must let us know as soon as possible, but no earlier than 4 weeks before the change takes place. Your child’s eligibility for payment will then be reassessed. Receiving the payment previously doesn’t guarantee continued eligibility from a new address to the same school or from the same address to a new school. Any transport arrangements required after the change but before your child has been reassessed will be the parent’s responsibility.

If we discover a change in circumstances wasn’t reported, we will seek to recover any payments made.

Can you receive a payment for my child to attend two schools?

No. Transport assistance is only provided to one school. If you apply for a payment, this will only be assessed for the main school your child attends.

When you'll receive your payment

Payments are made over an 11-month period with no payments in August due to school holidays. Payments are deposited into your bank account within 30 days of receiving a qualifying claim form. We can arrange advance payments based on agreed amounts, but many parents prefer to claim in arrears to budget effectively. Any changes, such as fewer days attended, will be deducted from the following month’s payment if paid in advance.

Payments are not backdated, and no refunds are provided if your application is processed within 6 weeks of submission.

If your request is refused

As payments are only available to children eligible for free school transport, there is no appeal since eligibility is not in dispute, but you can request a decision review. If your PTB is refused due to cost exceeding the local authority’s transport provision, you can ask for a review by a different school transport officer, providing any additional information or evidence that supports your case.

If unsatisfied with the response, you can seek a final review from the departmental head responsible for school transport, who will make the final decision. If your child is not eligible for transport assistance, normal transport appeal arrangements will apply.

In exceptional cases where a PTB is cost-prohibitive, a mileage payment may be awarded at our discretion, typically when we agree that the child must be transported by you.

FAQs

Will the payments be taxed?

The budget is a payment for the child, not the parent, and should not affect your tax situation. It is intended for your child’s transport to and from school and should not be used for any other purpose. If concerned, seek advice from a tax expert regarding your personal circumstances.

If I have two or more children with EHCPs, all of whom are eligible for transport assistance, can I claim a payment for each child?

You can claim for each child, but while the first child receives 100% of the payment, the second child is entitled to 50%. Any additional children do not qualify for a payment.

What if my child travels in a taxi with other children? What happens if a parent receives a PTB?

We will continue to provide transport assistance and review arrangements to see if you or other parents prefer a payment. The vehicle will only be withdrawn if all children in the vehicle receive a PTB and the total cost of payments is less than the existing transport arrangement.

Can my child continue to travel in the same vehicle if I receive a PTB?

No. If you receive a PTB, you must make your own transport arrangements. If you decline the PTB and remain with the current transport service, there is no guarantee that the same driver or assistant will be available. If you accept the PTB and later return to provided transport, there’s no guarantee your child can use their previous transport.

You can use the payment however you wish, such as:

• having a family member drive your child to and from school
• arranging with a friend or relative to walk your child to school
• carpooling with other parents whose children attend the same school
• providing a bus pass for a relative or friend to escort your child
• paying for childcare for a younger sibling so you can take your child to school

Do I need to collect receipts for expenses like petrol?

No, payments are set to a daily allowance, but you must return your attendance form each month to allow any adjustments to be made to the following month, if paid in advance. If you choose payment in arrears, the attendance form must be submitted at the end of each month.  If you are using a school club, childminder, or family/friend arrangement, an official costing signed by the provider is required before the start of the PTB.

What happens if my child is ill?

Your child’s attendance will be reviewed, and any missed days will be deducted from the following month’s payment if paid in advance.

If your child’s attendance falls below an acceptable level without reason, your PTB may be withdrawn.

Can a child attending boarding school receive a PTB?

Your child will be assessed like others, but the final payment will be prorated based on the actual number of journeys required.

Can a child attending college apply for a PTB?

If your child is eligible for transport assistance and cannot use public or provided transport, they may be considered for a PTB at our discretion.

Can foster carers apply for a PTB for a foster child?

If your foster child is in our care and meets the criteria to receive free home to school transport, then you can apply.

If you get an attendance allowance for the child, you won't be eligible to receive a payment.

If your foster child is in the care of another council, you'll need to contact that council.