Personal Transport Budgets
Personal transport budgets explained
Students of all ages with SEND who are eligible for travel assistance can apply for a Personal Transport Budget (PTB). PTBs are a popular alternative to the traditional transport services provided by the Council.
A Personal Transport Budget (PTB) is money that is paid at our discretion to parents or carers of students with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) who are eligible for travel assistance.
PTBs are a popular alternative to the traditional services provided by the Council. They allow you to decide the best way for your child to get to and from their school or place of learning.
Benefits of a PTB
A PTB has many advantages over the traditional transport services that the Council provides, offering:
- an opportunity to help the young person become more independent in travelling
- choice and control over how the young person gets to and from their school or setting on time and ready to learn, in a way that suits both them and their family
- a regular link to the young person’s school or setting, allowing for more regular opportunities to discuss their progress
- opportunities for you to explore shared transport arrangements with other parents
- monthly PTB payments into a bank account, so the money is available throughout the year, as you need it
Watch the four-minute video below for more information on:
- PTB benefits
- how PTBs can be used
- three students who use PTBs
- key things to consider
- how to apply
Examples of students with Personal Transport Budgets
The following are examples of students who use PTBs to fund transport.
Adam is eligible for home-to-school travel assistance but as there is no shared route available, he would be travelling alone. Adam says that he would prefer to travel with one of his school friends. Adam’s parents do not have access to their own car, but his friend’s mum offers to drive Adam to school.
Adam’s parents apply for a Personal Transport Budget (PTB). Adam and his friend enjoy travelling to school together and the PTB covers the fuel costs.
Adam lives 5 miles from his nearest suitable school and his PTB payment is £1,710 for the school year.
Bethany attends the nearest suitable school which is 10 miles from her home. She has a younger sibling who attends a school closer to home, but their school start times are the same.
Bethany is eligible for home-to-school travel assistance and her parents apply for a PTB. They use this payment to pay for their younger child to attend the school’s breakfast club and a childminder to walk her there each morning, which means their parents can drive Bethany to school.
Bethany lives 10 miles from her nearest suitable school and her PTB offer is £3,420 for the school year.
Callum and his younger brother attend different schools and they are driven to school by their dad. Callum and his brother often argue, which distracts their dad and can result in Callum being dysregulated when he arrives at school.
Callum is eligible for home-to-school travel assistance, so his dad applies for a PTB. His dad uses the PTB to pay for a childminder who lives close enough to walk Callum’s younger brother to and from school.
Callum lives 4 miles from school and his PTB payment is £1,368 for the school year.
Steven lives 3 miles from his nearest suitable school and while his parents want him to be independent in his travel to school, they feel the distance is too far to walk.
Steven’s parents want to use the PTB payment to purchase a bicycle for Steven, who is a confident cyclist.
Steven lives 3 miles from his nearest suitable school and his PTB payment would fund the cost of the bike plus any needed safety equipment.