- Overview of Home-to-School Travel Support
- Who May Qualify for Travel Help?
- SEND Travel Support and Other Options
- How to Apply for Help
- Contact Details and Further Guidance
- How Jimac Cars Supports Families
Overview of Home-to-School Travel Support
Hackney Education’s guidance on home-to-school travel sets out the support available for families who may need help with daily journeys to school. The page explains that free home-to-school travel is provided for children of compulsory school age, aged 5 to 16, through Transport for London, and that most children will not need additional help. Where support is needed, this may come in the form of a school bus, minibus, taxi, or a personal travel budget for parents and carers.
This makes the travel process more flexible for families across Hackney, especially where regular public transport or walking is not suitable for a child’s needs. The guidance was last modified on 24 October 2025, which is useful for families looking for the most recent council information.
Who May Qualify for Travel Help?
Hackney’s page outlines several situations where a child may be entitled to free travel support. This includes children with special educational needs, a disability, or mobility difficulties that mean they cannot reasonably be expected to walk to school or use public transport. Support may also apply where a child cannot walk the normal distance to school, or where a particular route is not reasonable due to safety concerns.
The guidance also notes support for children with SEND attending a school outside the normal distance range, children whose religion or belief means their qualifying school is not the nearest school and is outside the distance rules, and children from low-income families who attend school beyond the stated travel distances. Hackney also says a parent or carer’s disability may be a qualifying factor.
SEND Travel Support and Other Options
For SEND travel support, Hackney directs families to a dedicated application route through the Local Offer. The page also highlights that there may be travel support in other situations, including for parents of children with SEND who are under five, students aged 16 to 18 with an Education, Health and Care Plan, adult learners aged 19 to 25 with an EHCP, and students aged 16 to 18 from low-income families.
This is especially important for families managing education journeys across different stages, from early years through to post-16 and adult learning. Understanding the correct route matters, because the council separates SEND travel support from other age-based travel applications.
How to Apply for Help
The Hackney page explains that the application process depends on the child’s age and whether they have special educational needs or disabilities. Families seeking SEND travel support are directed to the dedicated SEND application route, while other travel support is split into age 4 to 16 and age 16+ application paths.
For families, this clear route-based approach makes it easier to find the right form and avoid unnecessary delays. The council also links to its home-to-school travel policy and post-16 transport policy statement for further detail on how support is assessed and delivered.
Contact Details and Further Guidance
Hackney Education lists the Pupil Benefits team as the contact point for travel support queries. Families can call 020 8820 7000 or email PupilBenefits@hackney.gov.uk for further help.
For parents, carers, schools, and local organisations, this is a useful reference page because it brings together the key eligibility rules, application links, policy documents, and support contacts in one place.
How Jimac Cars Supports Families
Reliable transport plays a major role in helping children and young people arrive at school on time and with less stress, especially when additional needs or mobility concerns are involved. That is where a trusted local transport partner can make a real difference.
Find more details here.
Let Jimac Cars provide safe and reliable transport for families and young people with SEND needs, making every journey easier and stress-free.
For families, schools, and community organisations looking for dependable local journeys, Jimac Cars can be a practical partner for everyday travel, helping make school runs and planned transport smoother, more comfortable, and better organised.
