SEND transport services for kids cut due to squeezed local council budgets
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Published 2024-06-10
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Services that their kids used have been squeezed because of local council budgets.
The cuts mean that they’re increasingly being asked to bear the cost of journeys to college or school as transport is taken away.
We’ve been talking to parents in London and Leicester - who say there's no way they can afford to continue to send their children to school post-16, without financial support.
In a statement sent before the general election was called, the Department of Education told us that they recognise paying for transport for 16–19-year-olds can be “difficult” but they added “local authorities are required to make the necessary transport arrangements or financial support available” to ensure access for young people.
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All Comments (21)
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The companies winning procurement contracts take billions out of local authorities budgets! Time for change!!
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When did it become okay for every council in England to cut services for the disabled? The disabled are singled out, time and time again. These practices are completely discriminatory, and if any other marginalised group was targeted in such a way there would be a public outcry. Where is the outcry? Where is the outrage? We should be organising class-action lawsuits up and down the country!
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councils need to stop spending on wasteful vanity projects and focus on the needs of its citizens.
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The government actions prove that there are different classes of people with different levels of moral worth and value. Very sad
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When will we have an equal society for all with disabilities visible and non-visible it makes me feel despondent
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Despicable.
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National government needs to fund this and support staff in schools. People in the education sector need to be paid first world wages in the UK
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Who runs the companies follow the money, They are taking money from the people but some one is gaining money. The Question is who is ripping us off.
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They’ll do this, then fine, take to court then imprison the parents for vulnerable child’s non attendance. Where is the money going!!! I’m beginning to think the whole money system is screwed.
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We should MAKE MP's take public transport and make them pay for it and not the TAX payer.
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RIP 🪦 Rushi Sunak 🫵🏻💀
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rent and house prices reduce automatically living easily. then everything affordable.
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interesting that you didnt show the type of people most commonly using this service
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Got money for wars but not this disgusting
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taxi's are way more expensive! i was chatting t a driver the other day who told me how much his morning send run costs and the school pay it. more buses will save money . 12 people paying a lil is way cheaper than 12 seperate taxis. wich lets face it some kids wont manage safley every day
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There are other right wing governments around the world where they do at least invest in infrastructure and where the trains run on time. The Tories treat public transport, and city centres, with contempt - as long as they can drive around in their range rovers in the country, keep tax minimal, little else matters.
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Councils need to stop buedgeting for things and realuse we pay THEM to organise not hoard the money.
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When 75% of budget is spent on theoretical things like Surveys, Reports, Assesments and 25% is left actual practical works, surely these kind of problems will increase. Common Sense needs to prevail.
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Honestly, All kids should be having school transport available, and by school transport I mean BUS. Not private taxis, that's in unreal prices. In my street alone two kids without any health problems or anything gets private taxis bringing them to school. Gets collected from home and delivered to other town, without actual need - we have schools available withing 10 minutes walk. I have taxi driver in family, that's 100 quid a day for one child.
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just another false economy from tory's. like paying more for a hotel room than social housing because budget cuts mean no money for fixing empty social housing. give councils the money for a good send bus service n if need be charg3 a reasonable bus fare for over 16's
