Overview
- Local authorities are expanding personal transport budgets, with some paying mileage rates up to 70p per mile or lump sums that can reach £5,000 a year.
- The Local Government Association reports a 99% increase since 2021 in families receiving these budgets, even as overall reliance on taxis and cars remains high.
- Examples include Kent and West Berkshire, which pay £2,000 for under five miles and £5,000 for over ten miles, with some councils not routinely monitoring how funds are spent.
- A National Audit Office report puts annual council spending on school transport at about £2.3 billion, with average costs for SEND pupils exceeding £8,000 and extreme cases far higher.
- The Department for Education estimates costs could surpass £3 billion by 2029-30, and ministers are preparing wider SEND reforms expected to update transport guidance.