Your child might qualify for free home to school travel assistance if your family is on a low income. This means that your child receives Free School Meals and where household income is less than £7,400.
To qualify children need to be living more than two miles from their nearest qualifying school. The two mile limit will be measured along the nearest available walking route.
Children who are eligible for Free School Meals may get free travel assistance either to:
- one of the three nearest schools that is situated between 2-6 miles of the child’s home; or
- the nearest school they could attend on faith grounds and live between 2-15 miles from that school.
If you think that your child would meet the criteria for Free School Meals further information can be found on the free school meals page.
From September 2026, the government has extended the offer of Free School Meals to all children whose family receives Universal Credit. However, eligibility for Extended Rights travel assistance will remain based on receipt of Targeted Free School Meals and the current income threshold of £7,400. Families with household incomes of £7,400 or above will not qualify for Extended Rights travel assistance. Please note, for those in receipt of Universal Credit, we may need to see your recent statements.
Children currently eligible for travel assistance on Extended Rights who had a claim in place before the 31 March 2025 will have these entitlements protected until the end of their phase of education (e.g. middle or secondary school) or until they leave their current school, whichever is sooner.
Any protection of travel assistance for one sibling will not mean that a younger sibling will receive the same assistance. Each child will be assessed individually.
There may also be a low-income entitlement if you receive support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 or receive the guaranteed element of Pension Credit.