Introduction
If your child has an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), you may qualify for a Personal Transport Budget.
A Personal Transport Budget (PTB) is an alternative to Council Organised Transport. It is a payment that is made directly to families giving you the freedom and flexibility to make transport arrangements that suit you. The amount payable is based on the distance being travelled from home to school/education setting.
If you feel that you may be eligible, please apply below.
Eligibility
You may be eligible for a PTB if your child meets the following criteria:
- Lives within the area where Cambridgeshire is the local county council
- Has a Statement or EHCP
- Attends the school outlined in the Statement or EHCP
- Lives more than 2 miles (primary) or 3 miles (secondary) away from the school or not be able to walk less than those distances specified due to SEND
And either:
- Is currently being transported on a single occupancy Council transport route
- Needs to be placed on a single occupancy route due to your child's needs or behaviour
- There is no existing transport route available, resulting in your child being single occupancy
Your child could qualify for a Personal Transport Budget if they are attending a mainstream school, SEN or out of county school.
Please see our Home to School Travel Assistance Policy below for further information.
What Personal Transport Budget can be used for?
You can use the PTB payments in any way you wish, to aid your child in getting to school or college. This could be:
- Paying a friend, relative or neighbour to take your other children to school to free you up to transport your child with SEND
- Towards fuel costs and wear and tear on your vehicle
- Paying for a shared taxi with other children
- Towards costs of a car share with other parents
- Pay for childcare for younger siblings so that you can take your child to school
- Buying travel passes for your other children so they can travel to and from school, allowing you to transport your child with SEND
How Personal Transport Budgets are calculated
Personal Transport Budgets are calculated on a price per mile, from the distance from your home address and the school. We measure these distances on a digital mapping system.
How Personal Transport Budgets will be paid
Payments will be made monthly, directly into your bank account.
There will be 11 monthly payments. We don't pay in August as schools and colleges are closed.
Payments will be stopped or adjusted should your child's attendance drop below a satisfactory level.
Reviewing Personal Transport Budget provision
The Personal Transport Budget funding is reviewed annually, with a new application needing to be made each academic year.
Apply for a Personal Transport Budget
Please note: applications are assessed on a case-by-case basis, and will be discussed with your child's SEND Casework Officer and other professionals.
If you qualify for SEND transport and would like to discuss the option of a Personal Transport Budget, please contact:
Social and Education Transport (SETT)
Cambridgeshire County Council
ALC2649
Emery Crescent
Alconbury Weald
PE28 4YE
Email: edtransport@cambridgeshire.gov.uk
Tel: 01223 715 600
