Transport assistance appeals process
If an application is declined or the travel arrangements offered are considered unsuitable you can make a challenge in writing within 20 working days based on:
- entitlement
- distance measurement
- unsuitable offer of travel assistance
- route safety
- any other policy related issue
Stage 1 - Review by a senior officer (within 20 working days)
A senior officer in Department for Children and Public Health will review the decision and send you a written notification of the outcome including:
- detailed reasoning for decision made
- notification of the option to escalate to Stage 2 (an appeal panel) if the Stage 1 appeal is unsuccessful
You can appeal the Stage 1 decision within 20 working days. This should be in writing and you should provide any evidence or information to support the appeal that you wish the appeal panel to consider.
Stage 2 - Review by an appeal panel (within 40 working days)
All correspondence to date is provided to the members of the appeal panel at least 5 working days in advance. This allows them to familiarise themselves with the case.
You will be given 5 working days’ notice of when the appeal is to be heard and you will have the option to appear in person to make any additional representations.
If you choose to participate when the appeal is discussed, a copy of the appeal documentation will also be provided to you. If you choose to attend, a Council officer will also be present. The appeal panel may ask for additional information from you or from the officer to assist in making their decision. You and the officer will be asked to leave the room while the appeal panel reach their decision. The panel’s decision is final and no further correspondence is entered into. Staff from the Democratic Services or Special Educational Needs Teams will write to you within 5 working days with the panel’s decision.
If you consider that there was a failure to comply with the procedural rules or there were any other irregularities in the way the appeal was handled, details of how to escalate to the Local Government Ombudsman (LGO) will be provided with the decision letter. If you consider the decision of the appeal panel to be flawed on public law grounds, you may apply for a judicial review.