Travel

Concessionary Travel

National Entitlement card

West Lothian Council’s bus pass page explains all about the card. When you are ready to apply, go to the Get Your NEC site.

You can apply online for disabled concessionary travel using a National Entitlement Card, or young people between the ages of 5 and 21 can apply for a card, or have travel added to their existing Young Scot card, depending on their age – see this guidance.

Note that disabled travellers may be eligible for a +1 companion card, which allows someone to travel with them. In this case, you need to apply here. However, these cards expire and have to be renewed when your documents proving your disability run out, so if your child is age 5-21 they may be better off with the young person’s free travel card, which does not expire.

The card can be used on most local bus services in West Lothian and also long-distance and in other areas of Scotland.

Train travel

West Lothian Council also offers discounted rail fares to NEC cardholders travelling from West Lothian Stations on ScotRail train services.

There is a disabled person’s rail card which can also be used for children, subject to fees and eligibility. This can reduce fares by 1/3

Scotrail also sometimes offers concessions such as children travelling free with adults during the summer holidays, so it is worth keeping a lookout.

Hospital Travel Costs

If you or your child travel to hospital for NHS treatment you may be entitled to help with necessary travel costs. This includes check-ups and visits to clinics for treatment of sexually transmissible infections.

You can get help:

• if you are getting a qualifying benefit(s)
• if you are entitled to help through the NHS Low Income Scheme
• for your companion if you qualify for help and, for medical reasons, you need a companion to travel with you – their travel costs are added to your travel costs and it’s your income that counts
• if you are 16 or over but under 20 and are counted as a dependant of someone getting help (on the basis of a qualifying benefit) or through the NHS Low Income Scheme – otherwise you can make your own claim, even if you live with your parents

If a child under 16 is the patient, it is their parents’ income that counts. If someone else takes them to hospital, it is still the parents’ income that counts. If you are not sure what travel costs you can get help with, ask the hospital before you travel.

There is also the Young Patients Family fund, which pays for visits to in-patients.

Road Tax Exemption

You claim the exemption when you apply for vehicle tax. To claim the exemption or reduction the vehicle must be registered in the disabled person’s name or their nominated driver’s name.

It must be only be used for the disabled person’s personal needs. That means the vehicle can’t be used by the nominated driver for their own personal use. You can only have one vehicle tax exemption or reduction at any one time.

You can apply for exemption from paying vehicle tax if your child gets the:

• Higher Rate mobility component of Child Disability Payment (CDP)
• Enhanced Rate mobility component of Personal Independence Payment (PIP)

You can get a 50% reduction in vehicle tax if your child gets the PIP standard rate mobility component. You can’t get a reduction for getting the CDP lower rate mobility component.

This page explains the rules in more detail.

Self-Travel Skills

Travelling by themselves is a skill that many young people will be able to learn, with time, and it will make a great deal of difference to their independence and self-confidence. Patience and preparation are the keys to success.

It is difficult to find organisations that can help with self-travel, but this guide from Hertfordshire gives a good summary of the key principles and strategies parents need to help their young person succeed.

Another guide (American) takes a different approach, considering some of the key ‘lessons’ that young people and their trainers may need to learn to complement their ability to travel independently, such as identifying which people are safe to ask for help, and appropriate dress and behaviour.

You may be able to negotiate with Social Work for a Self Directed Support payment to pay someone to help your young person practice self-travel, if you’re unable to do it yourself, or the ILF Transition fund may help with this.

The moovit app has some features that might be useful, including turn-by-turn directions, and automatic notifications when you reach your stop on bus/tram journeys, but check its accuracy before relying on it!

School Transport

Special needs transport to and from school – information can be found on our Education page