Taxi firms' £85k 'irregular' claims for SEND trips
Getty ImagesTaxi firms taking children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) to school submitted nearly £85,000 worth of "irregular" invoices to Kent County Council in three months, a report claims.
Providers face repaying discrepancies or losing their contracts if future instances are identified following the council's counter fraud progress report, presented to its governance and audit committee on Wednesday.
The irregularities relate to transport for an estimated 6,000 children with SEND needs.
The report, covering October to December 2025, also identified 245 penalty charges for offences related to misuse of blue badge disability parking.
Parents who have secured an education, health and care plan (EHCP) can apply for taxis to take their children to school.
The county council's public transport department checks invoices against school attendance and "other information", the report added.
It said: "Warnings are issued to suppliers and contracts are terminated where appropriate.
"Suppliers may be prevented from engaging in further contracts if subsequent instances are identified.
Between April and August 2024, further irregularities came to light totalling nearly £30,000, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
From April to December 2024, 435 "irregularity referrals" were issued covering contract mismanagement, blue badge misuse and theft.
Contract mismanagement covers areas such as invoices for services which are not delivered, or over-payments caused by data-inputting errors.
"Any over-claims are netted off against future payments or via invoice if this is not possible," the report said.
The report also claimed the use of stolen or forged disabled car blue badges, and those of deceased holders remains an issue.
Kent County Council says it has beefed up its counter-fraud operation in recent years by improving the technology, training and awareness of the types of potential losses.
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