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ePetition details

We the undersigned petition the council to Increase the Petrol Allowance from 25p to 45p for all parents who transport their child(ren) to specialist schools, who have EHCPs in the Education Travel Policy in Appendix 3

A number of parents now get 45p for transporting their child to specialist schools and others in Devon get the equivalent of more than this amount, this has created a very unequal and unfair situation where parents who have legal knowledge and support and confidence can get the 45p whereas parents without this, do not, this is unfair and discriminatory. Foster carers in Devon, councillors and volunteers get 45p petrol allowance, and the amount is based on recommendations from Government and based on the HMRC non taxable mileage amount up to 10,000 miles per annum. Currently many parents spend hours transporting their children to specialist schools who are too anxious to get taxis and other reasons, some have had to give up work as a result. According to the Education Act of 1996 (Section 508B), the Local Authority has a duty to provide free
transport in this circumstance, where the child attends a specialist school named on the EHCP and agreed by
the LA. 25p does not provide free transport. The HMRC rate of 45p that is
required to be paid to all employees is the rate they have calculated provides for free transport and
covers petrol costs, all associated vehicle costs such as wear and tear, garage cost, MOT, tax, insurance etc
.
In many cases, transporting a child to school by the parent is the only way that a child can attend school. The Education Act makes clear that transport arrangements for children with EHCPs to specialist schools must cover costs, not give rise to additional costs and must make provision to ensure additional costs are covered. Currently the 25p is therefore breaking the law.
Furthermore, according to the Department for Education and Skills 2004 Good Practice guide on ‘Home to School
Transport for Pupils Requiring Special Arrangements’, page 29, parents transporting their children to a
specialist school in this situation should receive the rate recommended by the Community Transport
Association:
“Payments to parents: parents often offer to help with home to school travel arrangements and these can sometimes
offer a Best Value solution. LAs sometimes make payments to the parents and carers of pupils with SEN to:
– act as an
escort (for example, with a child who has an autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) and has challenging behaviour)
– use
the family car to take a pupil to a special school at some distance from the home. Policy should clearly set out the
circumstances where LAs may make payments to parents and the amounts that they will be entitled to.
Where mileage
payments are made it is recommended that the Community Transport Association mileage rate for volunteer
drivers, or other similar rate, is used.”(p 29 excerpt)
The rate the Community Transport Association stipulate is currently the HMRC rate of 45p. Volunteers for
LORG, the Devon County Council parent partnership service, also receive 45p.
We want the council to revise the Education Travel Policy and make an amendment that for parents transporting their child to a specialist school with an EHCP receive 45p a mile for doing so.

Started by: Emily Gilbert

This ePetition ran from 12/05/2019 to 10/08/2019 and has now finished.

12 people signed this ePetition.


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