Post-16 SEND travel assistance policy consultation

The consultation will open on Monday 20 October. On this page we will have a link to the consultation, a printable download of the survey and an easy read version.

Have your say on post-16 SEND travel assistance

Help shape the future of travel assistance for young people aged 16 to 25 with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) who travel to school, sixth form, college or another place of learning.We are consulting on four options for the future of post-16 SEND travel assistance. If you are a young person, parent or carer, tell us how the proposals could affect you. Your feedback will help inform what happens next.

Have your say from 20 October to 14 December 2026.

Read the proposals and respond by 14 December 2026. Every response will be considered before a final decision is made.

Why is the council reviewing post-16 SEND travel assistance?

Demand for council-organised SEND transport has almost doubled over the past five years. Travel assistance for children and young people with SEND is expected to cost around £29 million this year, rising to £35 million within the next two years. At the same time, the council is facing a significant budget shortfall across the services it provides. We need to consider how post-16 SEND travel assistance can continue to meet young people’s needs while remaining financially sustainable.

Does the council have to provide free transport for young people aged 16 to 25 with SEND?

Once a learner reaches the age of 16 and up until the age of 18 and remaining on the same course, there is no automatic right to free home-to-school or college transport. If the council determines that transport is necessary under section 508F of the Education Act 1996 for a young adult learner aged 19-25, then the transport provided under that duty must be free of charge. It is for this reason that we are not proposing for learners aged 19-25 to pay a contribution for organised transport. We consider applications for support under our Post-16 Transport Policy, but the law does not require the council to provide free travel assistance.

What support is currently available under the council’s Post-16 Transport Policy?

Eligible young people may currently receive:

Council-organised transport: This could be a taxi, minibus or specialist vehicle. It costs the council an average of £11,000 per student each year.

A Direct Travel Assistance Payment (DTAP): An upfront payment made directly to a young person or their parent or carer to arrange travel. This costs the council on average around £2,500 per student per year.

Parent or carer mileage: A payment at a lower rate than a DTAP that can only be used towards fuel costs for travel to school or college. This costs the council on average around £1,250 per student per year.

What changes are being considered?

We are considering four options:

Option 1: Contribution only  

·         Council-organised transport would continue to be available to eligible learners aged 16 to 25 with SEND. 

·         Families of young people aged 16-18 (years 12 and 13) choosing organised transport from September 2027 would be asked to pay £795, equivalent to 7% of the cost of the transport. This matches the proposed contribution for a council bus pass for pupils using mainstream school transport from September 2027.

·         Families with household income below £7,400 would not be charged.  

·         This option is estimated to save the Council £0.4m. 

Option 2: Year 12 enhanced assessment from 2027 plus contributions 

·         Existing Post 16 SEND learners on organised transport would retain their current arrangements until they complete their post-16 education. However, from September 2027, families of young people aged 16 (in year 12) would only be granted organised transport in exceptional circumstances. 

·         To demonstrate exceptional circumstances, families would need to complete an enhanced assessment as part of their application for travel assistance.  

·         If families applied for a DTAP or parent mileage they would not need to complete the enhanced assessment. These options can be chosen at the application stage. 

·         If the Council decides the application does not meet exceptional circumstances, then a direct travel assistance payment (DTAP) will be offered.    

·         In addition, the Council would introduce the charge for organised transport from September 2027 for families of young people aged 16-18 (years 12 and 13) on organised transport (as outlined in Option 1).  

·         This option is estimated to save the Council £1.5m 

Option 3: All Post 16 enhanced assessment from 2028 plus contributions 

·         From September 2028, families of young people aged 16-25 would only be granted organised transport in exceptional circumstances. 

·         From September 2028, all families with young people in or entering Post 16 education would need to apply for travel assistance. 

·         If a family wished to apply for organised transport, they would need to demonstrate they had exceptional circumstances 

·         To demonstrate exceptional circumstances, families would need to complete an enhanced assessment as part of their application for travel assistance.  

·         If families applied for a DTAP or parent mileage they would not need to complete the enhanced assessment. These options can be chosen at the application stage. 

·         If the Council decides the application does not meet exceptional circumstances, then a direct travel assistance payment (DTAP) will be offered.    

·         In addition, the Council would introduce the charge for organised transport from September 2027 for families of young people aged 16-18 (years 12 and 13) choosing organised transport (as outlined in Option 1).  

·         This option is estimated to save the council £2.3 million. 

Option 4: All Post 16 enhanced assessment from 2027 plus contributions 

  • From September 2027, families of young people aged 16-25 would only be granted organised transport in exceptional circumstances.
  • From September 2027, all families with young people in or entering Post 16 education would need to apply for travel assistance. 
  • If a family wished to apply for organised transport, they would need to demonstrate they had exceptional circumstances 
  • To demonstrate exceptional circumstances, families would need to complete an enhanced assessment as part of their application for travel assistance.  
  • If families applied for a DTAP or parent mileage they would not need to complete the enhanced assessment. These options can be chosen at the application stage. 
  • If the Council decides the application does not meet exceptional circumstances, then a direct travel assistance payment (DTAP) will be offered.   
  • In addition, the Council would introduce the charge for organised transport from September 2027 for families of young people aged 16-18 (years 12 and 13) choosing organised transport (as outlined in Option 1).  
  • This option is estimated to save the council £3.1 million.

Please be aware that under any of these options, the council’s costs to provide SEND travel assistance are still forecast to increase by at least £2 million in the next two years.

When would any changes take effect?

The contribution towards organised transport would begin in September 2027 under all four options. The enhanced assessment would begin in September 2027 under Option 2 (just for those starting year 12) and Option 4 (for all post 16 learners), and in September 2028 under Option 3 (for all learners).

What is a Direct Travel Assistance Payment (DTAP)?

A DTAP is an upfront payment made to families each term and loaded onto a prepaid card issued by the council. It gives families flexibility and choice over how they arrange travel. The card works in a similar way to a debit card. It can be used for reasonable costs associated with getting a young person to and from their education setting, including fuel, public transport fares, taxi fares and other travel-related costs. Families can view balances and transactions through a secure online account, and the council can check that public funds are being used for their intended purpose.

Payments are based on the number of days a learner is expected to attend. If a learner attends any part of a scheduled day or session, travel is treated as having been provided and payment will be made for that day. Families would not need to submit mileage claims because payments would be calculated in advance and loaded onto the card.

From September 2027, payments would be calculated at 55p per mile, based on four journeys a day for up to 190 school days each academic year, or 160 days for colleges. We estimate that a family with a young person in full-time education would receive an average of £3,000 a year.

How could I use a DTAP?

A DTAP could be used to:

  • drive the learner to school, college or sixth form
  • ask a trusted family member or friend to help
  • buy bus or train tickets
  • book a taxi or private hire vehicle
  • share travel with other families
  • combine DTAPs with other families to pay for shared transport
  • pay towards transport offered by a school, college or education provider
  • pay childcare costs (such as breakfast clubs) for other children in the family to enable families to take their child with SEND to school
  • contribute towards the running and maintenance costs of a vehicle used for travel.

Will a DTAP be suitable for everyone?

The council accepts that a DTAP won’t work for everyone at Post 16 and it’s for this reason that no option proposes to withdraw organised transport entirely for our Post 16 learners

However, Under Options 2, 3 and 4, organised transport will only be offered in exceptional circumstances. A DTAP would usually be offered unless exceptional circumstances can be demonstrated through an individual assessment of the family circumstances. 

In all options, a financial contribution would be sought from families of young people aged 16-18 (years 12 and 13) towards the cost of organised transport if this is offered.

What do you mean by “exceptional circumstances”?

We propose that council-organised transport could be provided where an individual assessment demonstrates that:

  1. the young person is eligible for post-16 SEND travel assistance; and
  2. because of the young person’s SEND, medical needs, journey requirements, family circumstances or a combination of relevant factors, neither a DTAP nor parent or carer mileage would provide a reasonable and practical way for them to attend their education setting; and
  3. there is no other reasonable travel arrangement that the young person or their family could make, including arrangements that could reasonably be secured using a DTAP; and
  4. without additional support from the council, there is a significant likelihood that the young person would be unable to access their education placement.

Please note that no single factor would automatically establish exceptional circumstances.

If my child currently has organised transport, will they continue to receive it?

Under Option 2, learners already receiving travel assistance would keep their current arrangements until they finish their post-16 education.

Under Options 3 and 4, all families would need to demonstrate exceptional circumstances through an individual assessment to receive organised transport. If you believe a DTAP is not suitable, you would be invited to complete the assessment as part of the application process. If exceptional circumstances were demonstrated, organised transport would be offered.

Why are families being asked to contribute towards organised transport?

Council-organised transport is currently the most common form of post-16 SEND travel assistance. It costs the council more than £7 million a year and an average of £11,000 per learner. Demand for organised transport across all learners with SEND has doubled over the past five years and is expected to continue growing.

The council is facing significant financial pressures across its services. The proposed annual contribution of £795 is the same as the charge for families who buy a council bus pass for pupils travelling on one of the Council’s mainstream school buses from September 2027. However, mainstream school buses cost the Council on average £1,200 per learner, so families actually pay 66% of the cost, rather than the proposed 7% for families of children with SEND.

What if I cannot afford the contribution?

Families with a household income below £7,400 would not have to pay. This is the threshold currently used by the council to determine low income for under-16 home-to-school transport and is the level set for families to receive targeted free school meals.

Families with a household income above the threshold could pay the contribution termly in three instalments.

Will I need to reapply for travel assistance each year?

Yes. From September 2027, all post-16 learners with SEND seeking travel assistance to attend school or college would need to reapply each year under all four options.

Why will families need to reapply each year?

A young person’s travel needs and family circumstances can change during post-16 education. Due to the plan to introduce a charge for organised transport, applying each year would allow the council to consider current circumstances and, where relevant, allow for the contribution to be made before travel assistance is put in place.

How will I know when it is time to reapply?

We will write to you each year with plenty of notice to explain when and how to reapply.

National changes to concessionary bus travel

From 1 April 2027, eligible disabled people in England will be able to use their concessionary bus passes free of charge at any time of day, including before 9.30am. This could make public transport suitable for more journeys, but it will not be right for everyone. Individual needs would still be considered, including accessibility, journey times, changes between services, safety and any support needed during the journey.

Independent Travel Training

Independent Travel Training helps young people learn how to travel safely and confidently on public transport. Many schools and colleges already provide this support. It can help young people become more independent, access education and prepare for adult life. We believe there is potential to provide and promote more Independent Travel Training across Nottinghamshire by working with schools, colleges and families to identify young people who may benefit. It will not be suitable for everyone, but it could give some young people more choice and flexibility while helping them develop valuable life skills.