Personal travel budget
Personal Travel Budget (PTB) is an option of travel assistance available to parents whose children have an Education, Health and Care Plan, (EHCP). It assists with the costs of taking their children to school or college. Children have to be assessed as being eligible to receive travel assistance before they can receive a PTB.
What can you use it for?
You can spend it how you like, as long as your child travels in a way that ensures their safety, encourages their attendance and they arrive at on time and in a positive manner ready to learn.
Some ideas for spending include:
- purchasing a travel pass for yourself or a trusted adult to accompany your child
- paying for a passenger assistant for your child to walk or to travel by public transport, or arrange to do this yourself
- covering the cost of driving your child
- covering the cost of cycling with your child
- covering the cost of childcare for a sibling to enable you to take your child
- arranging with other parents for shared travel, such as shared driving responsibilities, walking buses or joint taxi bookings
How much will you get?
You can find out how much you could be paid by using the PTB calculator, this can be found on our personal travel budget calculator page. Please note that when an offer of a budget is made by us, this will be based on the shortest available route between home and school. Therefore, the total value of the budget may be different to what you have calculated.
Further information about eligibility and how a personal budget may work for you is available from the School Planning and Organisation Team.
Payment dates for 2024/25
|
Payment schedule |
Date |
|---|---|
|
Autumn term payment |
13 September 2024 |
|
Spring term payment |
17 January 2025 |
|
Summer term payment (half a term) |
17 April 2025 |
|
Final payment (half a term) |
8 August 2025 |
Further information
Payments are made from us directly into the parent/carers designated bank account at the beginning of the each term: Autumn and Spring term, with the Summer term payment divided into two smaller payments, one at the beginning of the Summer term with a final payment at the end of the academic year.
| Payment schedule | Date |
|---|---|
| Autumn term payment | 14 September 2023 |
| Spring term payment | 18 January 2024 |
| Summer term payment (half a term) | 25 April 2024 |
| Final payment (half a term) | 8 August 2024 |
Payment of the full amount depends on whether your child has reached at least 85% attendance at school. This will be monitored by the team on a termly basis. Should your child’s attendance fall below 85%, then future payments will be reduced to reflect the number of journeys you have not made the previous term.
Yes, by either us or the parent/carer.
In a case where the parent/carer wants to stop the PTB, there are two ways in which we could arrange alternative travel assistance;
- where circumstances change substantially and alternative arrangements are required sooner to support the family. Transport Commissioning Service would require at least two weeks to identify a suitable contract. Parents/carers will be responsible for repaying any money that would not be used
- arrangements for alternative transport could be made for the start of the next term. Therefore parents/carers would not have to return any of the money unless the child’s attendance falls below 85%
Or we may stop the PTB if the child’s attendance consistently falls below 85% or the money has been misused. Further information about the Terms and Conditions of the PTB can be found on the agreement that will be sent to parents/carers of eligible children.
No, this does not have an impact on any other benefits.
It will be reviewed on an annual basis. As children and young people grow older, it is likely that they will wish to become independent travellers.
No, the scheme leaves the flexibility and control of spending with the families. We will monitor your child's attendance and will pick up any potential issues through the school/college record of attendance and the appropriateness of the travel budget.