MPs call for action on SEND transport after age 16
3 mins read
Friday 5 June 2026
At a Westminster Hall debate on 4 June, MPs highlighted growing concerns about home-to-school transport for young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), as well as the challenges facing families in rural areas.
Contact’s evidence highlighted in Parliament
In his opening remarks, Tom Gordon MP referenced evidence submitted by Contact to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), saying:
“The charity Contact put it clearly in evidence to PAC (Public Affairs Committee): the policy is simply not working post 16. The change in entitlement can feel like a cliff edge. For families who have spent years building routines and supporting a young person with complex needs, that cliff edge can be devastating for the young person and for every member of their family around them.”
Transport barriers limit access to education
During the debate MPs shared examples of young people with SEND struggling to get to college because suitable transport was unavailable. MPs described the impact on families who are often forced to face difficult choices about employment, finances and their child’s education.
Concerns were raised about inconsistent local authority policies, lengthy appeal processes and personal transport budgets fail to reflect the true cost of travel. One MP referred to a local transport policy that made it “all but impossible” for SEND students to secure the transport support they need. There was broad agreement across the debate that transport is often the deciding factor in whether a young person with SEND can attend college, take up training opportunities and develop greater independence.
Additional challenges for rural families
MPs also highlighted the particular challenges families in rural areas face, where children and young people often have to travel long distances to reach a suitable school or college. Concerns were raised about the current transport eligibility rules based on attendance at the “nearest suitable” setting. MPs argued that this can leave families struggling when local provision cannot meet a child’s needs or when the nearest placement is many miles away from home.
Calls to review post 16 transport
MPs called on the Government to review post-16 transport arrangements and funding, and to strengthen national guidance for local authorities to ensure that young people with SEND can access education and training opportunities more consistently.
Thanks to funding from the Motability Foundation, Contact is campaigning to improve transport to school or college. Read more about our school transport campaign.
You can also find advice and information on school transport across the UK on our website, including advice on challenging school transport policies in England.