Disabled student's travel to college cut by council

Gail Town said she fears for her son's independence after the change in council policy

A disabled teenager would only be able to attend college twice a month under changes to a council's transport policy, his mother has said.

Gail Town said her son Lucas, 17, would only be eligible for an allowance of £100 per month from Kirklees Council to travel to Huddersfield New College.

However, she said she had been quoted £30 per one-way journey for a wheelchair taxi.

Kirklees Council said the new approach aimed to make the system "financially sustainable, while also helping young people, mostly with additional needs, to access education and achieve the best outcomes".

Ms Town said her son's new allowance would not be enough to cover two return journeys to Huddersfield New College

The Local Democracy Reporting Service said the cost of the teenager's transport had previously been covered entirely by the authority.

However, under the council’s new policy approved in April, eligible students have been placed in one of four "bands" depending on how far they live from their place of education.

They then receive a flat-rate payment between £300 and £3,000 to use for travel.

Lucas's £1,000 annual grant would cover only two return trips, his family claimed.

Ms Town said: "Our son had a wheelchair taxi paid for college last year and if the government expects children to stay in full-time education until they are 18, then they should cover his wheelchair taxi.

"We live on a steep road and there is no way that our son can independently leave our house on his own and get down our road."

'Costs rise'

A spokesperson for Kirklees Council said: "The post-16 transport policy was changed earlier this year after a public consultation.

"In the previous year, Kirklees Council spent £2.6m on taxis and minibuses to transport around 300 post-16 young people to their education setting. These costs were continuing to rise.

“The new approach means that, for most families, we are instead providing a transport payment – they can spend their budget in whichever way is best for them, giving them flexibility to tailor their travel arrangements based on individual needs."

Ms Town said she had no objection to contributing to Lucas’ transport costs, but explained the logistical difficulties, particularly around and her husband’s work schedules and the unsuitability of public transport for Lucas’s needs.

She also praised Huddersfield New College for doing “everything they could” to offer help and support.

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