In this section we will look at cars, bikes, rail and bus, reducing travel costs and working from home.
Car travel, learner drivers and new drivers
Learning to drive is a useful life skill. Some jobs and employers need you to be able to drive. Plus… you may live in a city with great public transport links, but then again you might be living in an area where good public transport is hard to find. Being able to drive can help you grow your options in life, study and work.
Want to learn to drive? That’s fantastic! And lack of funds shouldn’t hold you back. This Driving Lessons Grant Programme from Motability can provide grants towards the cost of learning to drive for disabled people who have a provisional licence and want a full licence. They can also provide grants to disabled people who already have a licence but need familiarisation lessons; for example, if they need to get used to new driving adaptations.
Your first challenge will be getting a provisional driving licence. Young disabled adults in receipt of the Higher rate Mobility for the Disability Living Allowance/Personal Independence Payment can learn to drive at 16 years.
Contact the Drivers Medical Group of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) to check if your medical condition will affect your driving, then fill in their medical forms.
Some Charities can help you with funds based on individual need. Use the Turn2Us Grants Finder to see charities offering grants in your area, then see if the grants available match your need and personal circumstances.
Help with driving lessons for young carers
As a young carer you have a lot of responsibilities and being able to drive could really help. The Carers Trust may be able to support you with costs.
Carpools and lift shares
One way to reduce car travel costs is to carry out liftshares and car pooling. It’s a way to save money and help save the planet too. Safety matters, so only carpool with trusted people you know or trusted liftshare organisations. If you work you can talk to your employer about Liftshare for Work. You can also see if organisations like Liftshare would be a good fit for you. Never sign up to an organisation like this without talking it through with parents, carers or a trusted adult first.
Get on your bike
A parent, trusted friend or official instructor can help you learn and with so many second hand bike options around it is an affordable way to get around.
A bike can give you more local freedom when you can’t afford driving lessons, buying a car and car tax.
You can even use it to get to school, college and work.
If you want to brush up on your basic cycling skills you can do this free online course which will help you feel road-confident. You can find more courses, instructors and tips on TfL.
Cycle to work schemes
When you get a job, some employers offer a cycle to work scheme like the Government’s Bike2Work scheme. It usually means you can save money on buying a bike, and your employer might even buy it for you – and you pay them back out of your regular wages in a way that doesn’t leave you feeling out of pocket.
Getting support with travel costs
Did you know that you can apply for a range of travel subsidies based on your age and situation? Take a look at the list below. See if any options apply to you or someone you know.
Local authorities currently spend around £1 billion every year providing free transport to and from school. At a minimum this covers pupils travelling more than 2 miles (for those under 8 years of age), pupils travelling more than 3 miles (for those aged 8 or over) and those unable to walk to school due to their Special Educational Needs.
Extended Rights to Free Home to School Transport
There is an additional entitlement to free travel for children from low income families (that is those entitled to free school meals or whose parents receive the maximum working tax credit). Local authorities were allocated around £38 million in 2013-14 to provide this transport.
See more info on the range of support offered by your local authority
Care to Learn
Care to Learn provides support with the cost of childcare and associated travel costs to ensure these do not prevent young parents (under the age of 20) from participating in education. Care to Learn supports around 6,500 young parents every year.
16-19 bursary
The bursary provides support for those aged 16-19 participating in education or training who face additional barriers to staying in education. The most vulnerable young people may be entitled to a bursary of at least £1,200 per year while discretionary bursaries are provided at the discretion of education providers.
If you’re a full time student or aged 16-25, this railcard gets you up to 1/3 off rail fares. On average it can save you £145 per year.
Support for London Care Leavers
If you’re aged 18-25 and you’re a care leaver living in a London borough, you can get discounted travel with an 18-25 Care Leaver Bus & Tram Discount Oyster photocard.
Discretionary learner support
Those aged 19 or over and facing financial hardship could be eligible for support through the discretionary learner fund. This includes support for the cost of travel (e.g. through the provision of travel passes or reimbursing the cost of fuel).
Help with travel if you are young and unemployed
The Jobcentre Plus Travel Discount Card is provided to those unemployed claiming Jobseekers Allowance or Universal Credit for 3-9 months (18-24 year olds) or 3-12 months (over 25s). Other benefit recipients may receive a Jobcentre Plus Travel Discount Card from 3 months of their claim and if they are actively engaged with a Jobcentre Plus adviser. Cardholders are entitled to a 50% discount on selected rail tickets. On top of that, the Flexible Support Fund may be used at the discretion of Jobcentre Plus staff to help with the cost of travelling to an interview, training or for the first months of travelling to work. Find out more from Jobcentre Plus.
Working from home
This section is all about travel. But what if you are not travelling at all? More young people have been working from home these days. This is mostly due to the pandemic but it’s a trend that could be here to stay. Employers are discovering that young people can still work hard when they are working at home with no manager watching them. There are lots more online work opportunities too, from virtual work placements and work experience to virtual apprenticeships!
A lot of the issues and benefits of working from home – like motivation and organising yourself – are important to studying at home, too.
We have lots of support on the Youth Employment UK website for young people who are working from home. Here’s just a taste:
- 6 Tips on building routine into your day when working from home
- Ways to stay motivated when working from home
- What is an online meeting and how do you do them?
Activity: Try doing an online meeting with a friend
If you have a smartphone you might be used to doing video calls with friends and distant family. That’s like an unofficial online work meeting! Work meetings that happen online usually use software like Zoom or Google Hangouts – which is great because they are both free. If you haven’t used Zoom or Google Hangouts before, try them out with a friend so that you can tell employers you are comfortable using this software for online work meetings.
Give it a try:
- Ask a friend (or ten) to join you on a video call.
- Download Zoom or set up an account with Google Hangouts.
- Arrange a time for the call that your friend is happy with and send your friend a link.
- On the call, you can both aim to be smart casual to get into the work vibe! Wear your best professional outfits, get groomed, and choose a quiet spot in your home environment that looks professional – lying in bed isn’t going to work for this activity because you wouldn’t lie in bed for a virtual work meeting.
- Finally, start your call at the agreed time and have a chat to catch up. Now you can say on your CV and cover letter that you have experience of using standard industry software for call meetings. Your employer will love that!
