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5. The Application Process

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The application process

  1. In order for your child or young person’s eligibility for travel assistance to be assessed, you must complete the application form accessed via the Cognus website. Find the travel assistance application [External Link]. 

  2. Once the completed form has been received, you will be advised in writing of the Council’s decision as soon as possible. 

Timeframes for ‘phase transfers’

  1. For applications at a phase transfer in the autumn term, such as entering primary school, transferring to secondary school or post-16 provision, decisions may take longer due to the volume of applications being processed. Whilst there is no fixed deadline, we generally ask for applications to be received by 30 April, and where that is the case we expect notifications of decisions to be issued by 30 June. We recognise some decisions on specific phase transfer placements for children with an EHC Plan are made later than 15 February, and any associated applications will be processed as soon as possible once received.  

  2. Where we have assessed a child as eligible we will confirm the travel assistance offer during the summer holiday. 

Timeframes for ‘in year year applications’

  1. For applications that are ‘in year’ i.e. outside of the normal phase transfer process, we will try and assess eligibility and confirm with you within 20 days.

  2. If we have assessed your child as eligible we will confirm the travel assistance offer within 10 working days of the application decision.

  3. If the Council considers that your child is not eligible for travel assistance, you will be advised of the decision, the reasons for it, and the right to have the decision reviewed as set out in Section 6 below. 

  4. If assistance with travel is agreed, it is the responsibility of the Council to allocate travel assistance which is suitable and appropriate for the needs of the child or young person. The options typically offered are described in Section 7, below.

  5. If you do not accept the travel assistance offered, you can appeal through the Decision Review Process, outlined in Section 6, below. While the review is being undertaken, you remain responsible for your child’s journey to school. 

  6. In general, travel assistance will be agreed for the current academic year only. When an application is received during the summer term, a decision will be made for the current term and for the following academic year, so long as your child is continuing at the same school.  

  7. You may be asked to re-apply for assistance each year during the Summer term (April to July) to allow for review of your child or young person’s eligibility for assistance, and the type of assistance that is required. For example, a child may no longer require a passenger assistant or may be ready to start independent travel training. If you do not reapply when requested, we will assume that travel assistance is no longer required. 

  8. Any changes in circumstances may also result in a change in eligibility for travel assistance (for example, your child’s special educational needs and / or disabilities may have changed, or you may have moved house). 

  9. Whenever changes occur, such as change of placement or home address, travel assistance provision must be reapplied for. 

  10. It should be noted that if your child is currently eligible for assistance, this is no guarantee that they will continue to be eligible in the future. The Council reserves the right to review travel requirements at any time in order to safeguard its duty to ensure the efficient use of resources.

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