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Tuesday, 21 March 2023

Transport AssistanceConveyance allowanceHow to Claim

Conveyance Allowance Changes
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Conveyance Allowance

A Conveyance Allowance is paid to a parent/carer to assist in costs of driving their child to and from school or a pick- up location.

Parents/Carers should note the following regarding conveyance allowance:

SBS will determine which form of transport assistance will be offered to a Parent/Carer.
No payment is made for travel prior to the school term in which the Conveyance Allowance is approved. For example: if a conveyance allowance is approved from Term 2, 2013, a claim made for Term 1, 2013 or any other previous period will not be considered.
It is not paid to a parent/carer who drops their child off at school on the way to work.
It is a contribution towards the cost of fuel, tyres, repairs and maintenance of a private vehicle, and the amount payable is indexed annually.
If a student has been withdrawn from a bus service due to behaviour issues and the parent/carer is receiving a conveyance allowance to drive that student to a pick-up location, the Conveyance Allowance may also be withdrawn.

Could I claim for a student attending kindergarten for half days?

Yes, when a kindergarten student attends kindergarten for half-days, a conveyance allowance may be provided for a return trip at midday.

How much will I be paid and when will I receive my payment?

The payment is calculated using the number of days a student actually attends school, multiplied by the kilometres travelled and the conveyance allowance rate of 25.24 cents per kilometre (effective from Term 3, 2022).
Conveyance Allowances are paid in arrears as a lump sum at the end of each school term.
Only one conveyance allowance will be paid per family.
Conveyance Allowance payments will be audited on a regular basis.
Should an overpayment occur for any reason, SBS will seek to recover the amount overpaid.
Claims received online for the current periods could take up to 10 working days to process and claims received manually could take up to 20 working days to process.

How do I apply?

Please complete an online application form for Transport Assistance.

How do I claim my allowance?

To claim a conveyance allowance, a parent/carer must submit a completed Conveyance Allowance Claim online form at the end of each term and submit it for SBS evaluation and calculation of the appropriate amount.

Claim forms should be submitted to SBS at the end of each school term.

What happens if there is a change in our details?

If a student’s circumstances change (contact details, emergency contact details) then a Change of Details form must be completed.

Please note that changes to address, school, medical condition or custodial details, will require the parent/carer to complete a new online application form for Transport Assistance.

Conveyance Allowance Conditions

The parent/carer must provide complete and accurate information on their Transport Application form and Conveyance Allowance claim forms. Note: Conveyance Allowance claims are auditable. Fraudulent claims will be treated seriously and the PTA will recoup any overpaid monies.

Distances provided by parents/carers must be accurate to within 100 meters, must be measured along the shortest practical route and cannot exceed 50.00 kms.

If an appropriate bus service is available, a Conveyance Allowance may be paid for travel to the nearest bus stop. Note: Student must reside more than 2.5 kms from the bus route.

Parents/carers must submit a new Application for Transport Assistance if the student’s circumstances change, e.g. if they change address or school.

Only Applicable to Mainstream Students

To be entitled to a conveyance allowance, the student must reside more than 4.5km from their nearest appropriate school and more than 2.5km from the nearest appropriate bus route, as measured from the home gate of the student’s residence.
If an appropriate bus service is available, a conveyance allowance will only be paid for travel to the nearest bus pick-up/drop-off location.

Payment of the Conveyance Allowance

Parents/carers must complete a Conveyance Allowance Claim form and submit it at the end of each school term.
The commencement date from which the conveyance allowance is paid is subject to SBS approval and no payment will be made for a period prior to the date of approval.
Only one conveyance allowance will be paid per family of eligible students and only if parents/carers transport their children to school by a personally owned private vehicle.
Where claims for Conveyance Allowance excess $1000 per term, as part of the claim, parent/carer has to submit student attendance record from the school.
Payments are made in arrears as a lump sum at the end of each school term. Claims for payment of conveyance allowance will not be reimbursed for periods in excess of two school terms in the arrears.
Payments are usually made by electronic funds transfer into a bank account nominated by the parent/carer.
Payments by cheque cannot be made as quickly as electronic funds transfers, and may take up to 3 weeks to process and mail.

Entitlement to a Conveyance Allowance may be withdrawn if:

Information provided by a parent/carer on their Application or Claim forms is false or misleading.

Only applicable to Mainstream Students

The student is travelling to a bus service, and the bus route is modified so that it comes within 2.5km of the student’s residence.