Kent County Council has had enquiries from a number of parents about possible refunds for their payments to the Travel Saver (formerly known as the Freedom Pass or the Young Person's travel Pass) once it became clear that schools would close for some considerable time. We've been approached in relation to both the Travel Saver and the 16+ Travel Saver. I have been approached on this by constituents and other parents and we sought to come to a quick decision.
Although application fees have now been surpassed by the cost of the scheme to the Council and KCC's normal policy has always been not to provide refunds, it is clear that these are not normal circumstances. Many families are feeling financial pressures during the current lockdown, and for the present they have no reason to use the service. And while the Travel Saver is heavily subsidised by the County Council (to the tune of almost two-thirds of the cost of the bus journeys that it entitles young people to), that effect is spread over the entire school year. KCC is therefore currently reviewing the level of any refund that can be provided and how it can be delivered. Once this is determined, it will be communicated to parents. For anyone paying by instalments, KCC arranged for the cancellation of the final payment, which was due on 28 March.
KCC will be in touch with parents about the arrangements for any refund due once it has been possible to establish how this will work.
This is the right thing to do, and it's essential that KCC supports parents at this time. At the same time, it is a relatively small example of the much greater financial pressures that face local government during this crisis, with income being foregone (as in this case) and expenditure in areas such as social care under upward pressure - something that I, and my counterparts elsewhere in the sector, continue to emphasise to ministers.
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