Benefits and support

School travel pass: New application

Your child may be able to get subsidised transport up to age 16, depending on the distance from home to school, and only if they meet certain eligibility criteria.

If your child has Special Educational Needs (SEN) with an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP) or is a post 16 SEND pupil, please apply via the SEND home to school transport process.

In all cases you should read the Home to School Transport Policy below for full details and eligibility before you apply. 

Who is eligible?

All children between 5 and 16 qualify if they go to their nearest suitable school and live at least:

  • 2 miles from the school if they are under 8.
  • 3 miles from the school if they are 8 to 16.

A 'suitable school' does not mean the most suitable for a child. Most schools can offer a wide range of needs. The nearest school to the home of a child will almost always be their nearest suitable school.

Free travel support is not automatically granted if the school you have chosen is:

  • not your nearest suitable school.
  • based on aptitude, gender or religious grounds and is not your nearest suitable school. 

Please read the policies for full eligibility criteria before you apply.

Families on low incomes

If your children are entitled to income related free school meals, they will get free travel support if they are:

  • aged 8 to 11 and go to their nearest school that is at least 2 miles from home.
  • aged 11 to 16 and go to a school that is 2 to 6 miles from home, if it is one of their 3 nearest suitable schools.
  • aged 11 to 16 and go to a school that is 2 to 15 miles from home on the grounds of their religion or belief, and there is no suitable school nearer to their home.

Before you apply

You must apply online for each child and will need to provide:

  • A passport style photograph of your child (head and shoulder shot) if part or all of their journey is by train. A photo is not required for bus only travel applications.  Read the guidance on GOV.UK for passport photo requirements. 
  • Authorisation to check for free school meals eligibility, or provide benefit award letters, if applying on low income grounds.
  • Your email address.

You will be prompted to upload the relevant files during the application process.

You can upload images/scanned documents from your computer, tablet or mobile device. If you prefer to send them by post or email, you can do this after you have submitted your application - the details of where to send them will be included in the confirmation email we send you.

How to apply

Apply online via the Citizen Portal - you will already have an account if you have applied for a Reception or Year 7 place.

If you don't have an account, you can register for one. Not sure how to register? See our step-by-step guide to register for a Citizen Portal account.

Apply online - sign in or register for an account

Read our privacy notice which tells you how we use your data.


We can only process applications once we have received all relevant documents. 

What happens next?

Once we have received your application and the required documentation, it may take up to 30 days to process. If you have not heard from us after 30 days, you can email schoolbustravel@liverpool.gov.uk for an update, quoting your child's name and date of birth.

School travel passes are issued for the whole of the academic year but can only be used during term time.

If your circumstances change

You must tell us if you change your home address or if your child changes school, as this may affect your child's eligibility for subsidised travel support. You must also tell us if there is a change to your financial circumstances and no longer eligible under low income grounds.