By Lucy Caulkett-
Local authorities across England have urged the government to consider a “radical” means-testing approach to home-to-school transport for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) as councils warn that costs are rising unsustainably.
Local leaders argue that the existing funding model, which obliges councils to provide free transport where necessary, has become financially unsustainable as pupil numbers and distances to specialist schools grow.
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Councils say that, left unchecked, transport for children with SEND could cost as much as £3.4 billion a year by 2030–31 a figure that has intensified calls for fundamental reform.
The County Councils Network (CCN), which represents county and unitary authorities in England, has spearheaded the push, saying that without change the pressures on local authority budgets will deepen and squeeze other services.
Under current law, councils must provide free transport for pupils who cannot reasonably be expected to walk or use public transport due to their needs or the distance of their school placement. But as the number of children with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) has grown and more are in specialist settings councils say the system’s cost has spiralled.
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SEND transport has become a major cost driver for local authorities’ “high needs” budgets, with councils reporting sharp increases in both demand and expenditure. The CCN analysis projects more than 100,000 additional SEND pupils needing transport by the end of the decade if reforms do not reduce costs or improve local schooling capacity.
Councils have previously warned of deep budget pressures across SEND services not just transport with some boroughs forecasting large deficits and even the risk of financial distress without changes to funding arrangements.
In response to those mounting pressures, the government recently announced plans to write off a substantial proportion of councils’ historic SEND deficits and to bring future SEND costs into the central government budget. But local leaders argue that this does not address the structural problem of rising transport costs which remain a drain on local revenue.
Councils say that the means-testing proposal would see families above a certain income threshold contribute toward their children’s transport costs, a shift they say could reduce public expenditure and target subsidies where they are most needed.
Supporters also want annual reviews of transport arrangements to encourage greater independence where possible for example by helping pupils use safe, accessible public transport instead of council-arranged private taxis.
However, SEND charities and advocacy groups warn that means testing risks creating financial barriers for families who already face extra costs related to disability and care. They argue transport is not a “luxury,” but a necessary support that enables children’s access to education a point echoed by unions and parent groups.
The debate has intersected with wider discussions about the government’s forthcoming Schools White Paper on SEND reform, which is expected to include proposals aimed at making the system more sustainable. Councils want the White Paper to specifically address transport funding rather than leaving it as an afterthought.
Despite the push from local authorities, ministers have so far not committed to means testing compulsory SEND school transport. Officials say the government recognises the financial pressures and is working on reforms that balance sustainability with ensuring children get the support they need.
Administrative hurdles could complicate the introduction of means testing, with councils noting that income assessments would require robust systems to avoid errors or unfair outcomes. Critics also remind policymakers that any new scheme must comply with legal duties under disability rights and equality legislation.
The issue has also highlighted deeper systemic concerns. Councils argue that if more specialist places were available closer to home and if mainstream schools were better resourced to support SEND pupils locally the need for long, costly journeys could diminish. But expanding capacity in both mainstream and specialist settings will require significant investment and time.
Parent groups are also wary that means testing, if implemented differently across council areas, could lead to a postcode lottery in access and cost of transport with families in wealthier areas paying more, and those in poorer areas receiving more subsidies.
Education policy experts have noted that the controversy reflects long-standing tensions in the SEND framework: expanding entitlements without equivalent funding mechanisms has squeezed local budgets and left councils struggling to meet their legal duties.
As councils continue to lobby for change, families and campaigners will be closely watching the outcomes of the forthcoming Schools White Paper and any related government consultations. Whether means testing becomes official policy or whether transport funding is reformed in other ways will have lasting implications for thousands of children and their families in England.
For many parents of children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), school transport is not a peripheral service but a daily lifeline. It determines whether a child can attend the setting named in their Education, Health and Care Plan, arrive safely and on time, and participate fully in school life.
Any shift toward income-based contributions would therefore resonate far beyond council balance sheets, shaping family finances, work patterns and even decisions about where to live.
Campaign groups are expected to scrutinise not only the principle of means testing but also the detail. Key questions include where income thresholds would be set, whether contributions would be capped, and how councils would account for the additional costs that families of disabled children often face from therapies and specialist equipment to reduced earning capacity when parents cut back working hours to provide care.
Without careful design, advocates argue, a policy intended to target support could inadvertently penalise households that appear financially secure on paper but are under significant strain.
There are also concerns about consistency. England’s SEND system already varies in practice from one local authority to another, with differences in eligibility assessments, transport routes and use of personal transport budgets.
If means testing were introduced without a clear national framework, critics warn it could intensify what parents describe as a postcode lottery, with contribution levels or exemptions differing markedly between neighbouring councils.
On the other side of the debate, council leaders maintain that reform is unavoidable. They argue that transport costs have grown faster than high needs funding allocations, driven by rising numbers of pupils with Education, Health and Care Plans, increased reliance on specialist placements and the escalating price of contracted taxi and minibus services.
In some rural and coastal authorities, long distances between home and appropriate provision add further pressure, resulting in lengthy daily journeys that are expensive to sustain.
Policy analysts suggest the White Paper presents an opportunity to link transport reform with wider structural change. Expanding specialist units within mainstream schools, investing in local special school capacity and improving early intervention could reduce the need for long-distance placements over time.
If more children can be supported closer to home, transport demand may ease naturally, limiting the need for significant parental contributions.
Another option under discussion is a graduated model that combines means testing with incentives for greater independence. Some councils have already piloted schemes that support older pupils to learn travel skills and use public transport safely, potentially reducing reliance on dedicated vehicles.
Others have offered personal transport budgets, giving families flexibility to arrange journeys themselves where feasible. The effectiveness of such measures, however, depends on individual circumstances and local infrastructure.
Ultimately, the government faces a delicate balancing act. It must address mounting financial pressures on councils while upholding legal duties to secure suitable education and make reasonable adjustments for disabled pupils. Any reform that appears to dilute those rights risks legal challenge as well as political backlash.
While consultation responses are gathered and policy proposals take shape, one point is clear: decisions made in Whitehall over the coming months will echo in kitchens, classrooms and council chambers across the country. With families navigating the complexities of SEND provision, clarity and fairness will matter as much as cost.
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