A Kent mum says she can’t pay for £500 a year on school travel if proposed cuts are authorized. Kent County Council (KCC) is preparing to stop totally free school travel for teens with unique requirements.
The propositions are an effort to save £700,000 a year from next September. Any teen with unique instructional requirements over the age of 16 will no longer be entitled to totally free school journeys.
Families will need to spend for taxis or minibuses for their kids. Under the propositions, students with unique requirements over the age of 16 who have an academic healthcare strategy will need to look for a 16+ saver bus pass which presently costs £500.
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Anyone not able to take public transportation will be used making use of taxis or minibuses for the very same cost as a bus pass. Mandy Swords, 44, from Sheppey has 2 children, among who presently utilizes the under-threat plan.
“I can’t pay for £500 a year,” Mandy informed Kent Live, “and they have actually slashed the budget plan for public transportation anyhow.
“It’s challenging to obtain from where I live to other parts of Kent. I’ve got one child who goes to Canterbury and another to Thanet and I likewise work. I’d need to stop work to get them to school.”
Her child Teagan is 17 so would need to spend for her own transportation. But her youngest, Kaitlyn, is 13. Mandy says she is stressed that in the future, totally free transportation for under 16s with unique requirements might likewise be slashed.
She included: “That’s the method things are going. Pretty quickly it will be under 16s transportation that will be at danger. This indicates it would cost me £1,000 a year in transportation. This is money I do not have.”
Councils throughout the UK are trying to stabilize the books in the middle of the cost of living crisis and worries of an economic downturn. This year KCC authorized a 5% tax boost for band D homes in addition to a series of cuts to civil services.
Speaking about the tax boost, deputy leader Cllr Peter Oakford (Con) said: “I do not think there is a single councillor in this chamber today who wishes to increase the level of tax within the present financial environment. Collectively, we completely comprehend the pressures that homeowners of Kent are dealing with.
“We have actually got to make challenging choices and include this boost, or we would require to make even more, considerable declines to the services that KCC offers.”
KCC is asking homeowners to voice their viewpoints on proposed modifications throughout an assessment duration. The assessment is set to close on March 21.
Kent Live has actually gotten in touch with KCC for a declaration.
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