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Free school transport for low income families

Primary school children

Your child is entitled to free school transport if they meet all of the following criteria.

  • They are over 8 years old.
  • They go to the nearest school suitable for their age and ability.
  • They live between 2 and 6 miles from the school (or between 2 and 15 miles for faith schools).
  • They are entitled to free school meals or your family receives one of these benefits:
    • income support
    • income based jobseekers allowance
    • Child Tax Credit (without Working Tax Credit and with an annual income of no more than £16,190)
    • guarantee element of state pension credit
    • income related employment and support allowance
    • maximum level of Working Tax Credit (TC602).

Apply for free school transport.

Secondary school children

Your child is entitled to free school transport if they meet all of the following criteria.

  • They go to 1 of the 3 nearest schools suitable for their age and ability.
  • They live between 2 and 6 miles from school (or between 2 and 15 miles for faith schools).
  • They are entitled to free school meals or your family receives one of these benefits:
    • income support
    • income based jobseekers allowance
    • Child Tax Credit (without Working Tax Credit and with an annual income of no more than £16,190)
    • guarantee element of state pension credit
    • income related employment and support allowance
    • maximum level of Working Tax Credit (TC602).

Children in the care of Kent County Council and children from low income families who are entitled to receive free school meals, can get free school transport to the nearest grammar school if:

  • they have met the admissions criteria of the school
  • they have been offered a place at the school
  • it's the nearest grammar school to their home
  • the distance from their home and the school is between 2 and 15 miles.

Apply for free school transport.

Distance

The minimum distance between home and school is measured via the shortest available walking route. A walking route can include public footpaths as well as roads and is a route that a child, accompanied as necessary, can walk to and from school with reasonable safety.

The maximum distance between home and school (15 miles for faith schools and 6 miles for all other schools) is measured using road routes only.

Evidence

We will need to see evidence of your benefits (TC602 for the current tax year) when you apply, and we will review your situation every year.