Qualifying benefits
Lower income families are those who are entitled to free school meals with an earned income of no more than £7,400.
From September 2026 this will be known as 'targeted' free school meals. You can find out more about changes to free school meals entitlement.
Your child must be entitled to targeted free school meals. Evidence to confirm entitlement will be required.
The expansion of free school meals to all other Universal Credit households from September 2026 creates a separate category of 'expanded' free school meals. The lower income criteria to receive free school transport does not apply to these households.
You must notify us of any change to entitlement to free school meals or maximum working tax credit, email admissions.transport@derbyshire.gov.uk or telephone: 01629 537479.
If you're no longer eligible, for example because you no longer receive the relevant benefit, you may have to meet your child's transport costs.
Primary age children
Your child must be aged 8 or over.
The school must be the nearest suitable school and over 2 miles from the home address. This distance is measured along the shortest available route.
Secondary age children
Children aged 11 to 16 are entitled to free transport to any one of the 3 nearest suitable schools where the distance from home is between 2 and 6 miles.
Where the school is preferred on grounds of religion or belief, the distance is between 2 and 15 miles and the school must be the nearest appropriate school. Evidence to support religious or philosophical belief will be required.