Transport for eligible social care needs

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Eligibility for transport
Paying for transport
Arranging transport
Policy and Criteria
Community Transport

Transport in itself is not a social care need. However, you may need transport to access support and services that meet your eligible social care needs.

How we find out if you have a need for transport:

We will carry out a needs assessment to find out what your needs are.
We will work with you to create a Care and Support Plan to meet those needs.
We will look at how you reach that support. If we find that you cannot get there on your own, we will look at transport for you to get there.
If you need transport to access your care and support options, we will look at transport options already available to you. This might be a friend or family member who can give you a lift, or go with you on the bus. If you use the mobility component of any PIP payment to pay for a motorbility car, then you will be expected to use this to access services.
If we agree that there are no other options, we will provide transport. How this works for you will be written into your Care and Support Plan. We will also write in alternative plans, in case something changes unexpectedly. (for example, the bus breaks down)

Paying for Transport

If you have assets worth more than £23,250 (as of April 2025), you will have to pay the full cost of your travel needs, if you ask the Council to provide support.

If you do not have assets more than £23,250, your support plan will include the use of money from your Personal Budget to pay towards the cost of transport. This will be only where you have no alternative means of travel. All care and support plans, whether or not transport is included, are approved by a designated manager.

If we arrange your transport, we will ask you to contribute towards the cost. This amount will be reviewed every year and will be up to a maximum of 70% of any mobility benefit in payment.

If you choose to use any mobility payment to pay for a motorbility car, then you will still be expected to contribute the same amount towards any transport arranged by the council, as anyone who has not chosen to pay for a motorbility car. We will pay the difference between this, and the full cost of the transport.

Arranging Transport

Where we arrange your transport, your request will be referred and organised by the Council’s Integrated Transport Unit (ITU). The ITU will use the details provided from your Social Worker or Social Care Practitioner to arrange the most appropriate transport provider for you.