Families placed far from their homes often find themselves unable to walk to their previous schools, creating additional stress and barriers to education.
A quarter of Greater Manchester’s MPs are calling on the region’s mayor Andy Burnham to introduce a free bus pass for children living in temporary accommodation that’s more than a 30-minute walk from their school.
According to housing charity Shelter, 4,234 children were living in temporary accommodation across Greater Manchester at the end of March 2024, equivalent to around one in every 30 children in the region. Families placed far from their homes often find themselves unable to walk to their previous schools, creating additional stress and barriers to education.
Under current legislation, children only qualify for free school transport if they live more than two miles from school and there is no ‘suitable school’ closer. Campaigners argue this policy leaves many families in limbo, being forced to either pay unexpected transport costs or move their child to a different school, where places may not be available.
The campaign was launched by the Manchester Evening News (MEN) and has so far been backed by seven of the region’s 27 MPs. The latest to join is Graham Stringer, Labour MP for Blackley and Middleton South.
“It is vital that children keep in contact with their school and friends when they have been moved into temporary accommodation,” said Stringer, “a free bus pass would be an enormous help in ensuring that these vital contacts are maintained.”
Other MPs supporting the campaign include Rebecca Long-Bailey (Salford), Christian Wakeford (Bury South), Yasmin Qureshi (Bolton South and Walkden), Afzal Khan (Manchester Gorton), and Liberal Democrats Lisa Smart (Hazel Grove) and Tom Morrison (Cheadle).
Over 200 people have already signed a petition urging Burnham to introduce free school travel for children forced to relocate into temporary accommodation.
A mayoral spokesperson previously told the MEN: “We are doing a lot to make travel easier and more affordable for everyone in Greater Manchester, including children and young adults. That includes £1 single bus fares, free travel for 16-18-year-olds, an extension of free travel for care leavers and, from next month, half price bus travel for 18-21-year-olds.
“Transport for Greater Manchester is currently undertaking a broader review of concessions, considering all the requests for support that we get from a range of groups across the city-region, and the mayor has asked them to ensure this is included.”
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