Brad is on the roll of solicitors of England & Wales but does not hold a practising certificate and does not provide legal advice.
Updated June 2026 · England & Wales
If you are attending a First-tier Tribunal (Special Educational Needs and Disability) hearing and need to reclaim your travel costs, you will usually be asked for tickets or receipts as proof. Life is not always that tidy. Tickets get lost, contactless payments leave no paper trail, and cash fares rarely come with a receipt at all.
Form SEND17 exists for exactly those situations. It sits alongside the main travel expenses claim form and acts as a written explanation of why you cannot hand over the usual evidence. Without SEND17, a claim made without tickets or receipts is likely to be rejected or delayed.
This page walks through what the form does, how it fits with forms SEND15A and SEND16A, and what to keep in mind when completing it so your expenses claim has the best chance of being paid.
What this document is
SEND17 is a short supporting declaration used in connection with travel expense claims made to the First-tier Tribunal (Special Educational Needs and Disability). The tribunal handles appeals and claims brought by parents, young people, and local authorities about educational provision for children and young people with special educational needs or disabilities.
When you attend a hearing, act as a witness, or accompany someone who does, you may be entitled to claim back reasonable travel costs. The primary claim is made using form SEND15A (for witnesses) or SEND16A (for appellants and their representatives).
Normally those forms ask you to attach tickets or receipts. SEND17 is the form you send in addition when that evidence is not available. It formally records that you cannot produce the proof, sets out what the missing costs relate to, and explains why.
It does not replace the main claim form, it supports it. Submitting SEND17 on its own will not trigger a payment, so the two documents need to travel together.
How to use this document
Confirm you have the right claim form. Before you touch SEND17, make sure you have completed either SEND15A or SEND16A, whichever matches your role in the case. SEND17 is only a companion document. If the main claim form is wrong or missing, the tribunal will not be able to process anything, so get that part right first.
Complete the declaration section. This is your formal statement that tickets or receipts for the journeys in question are not available. Read the wording carefully before signing. The declaration is the legal backbone of the form, and it is what allows the tribunal to consider your claim despite the missing evidence.
List the travel expenses clearly. Break down the costs you are claiming without proof, noting whether each relates to bus, train, or another form of transport. Include dates, routes, and amounts where you can. The more specific and consistent your figures are with the main claim form, the easier it is for the tribunal to approve them.
Explain why the evidence is missing. Give a genuine, short reason for each gap. Common explanations include cash fares with no receipt issued, contactless travel where no printed ticket exists, or tickets that were collected at the barrier. Be honest and factual, vague or inconsistent reasons are more likely to be questioned.
Sign, date, and submit with the main form. Add your full name and signature, then date the declaration. Send SEND17 together with the completed SEND15A or SEND16A to the tribunal office handling your case. Keep a copy for your own records in case any follow-up queries arise.
Q Can I use SEND17 on its own to claim travel costs?
No. SEND17 is a supporting declaration, not a standalone claim. You must submit it alongside either form SEND15A or SEND16A, depending on your role in the tribunal case. On its own it gives the tribunal no claim to process. If you send SEND17 without the main form, expect your paperwork to be returned or delayed while the tribunal asks for the missing claim form.
Q What counts as a good reason for missing tickets or receipts?
Genuine, practical reasons tend to be accepted. Examples include paying a cash bus fare where no receipt was given, using contactless or Oyster without a printed ticket, or surrendering a paper ticket at the station barrier. The key is that your explanation matches how the journey would realistically have worked. Made-up or inconsistent reasons risk the whole expenses claim being refused.
Q Will the tribunal always pay out if I submit SEND17?
Not automatically. SEND17 allows your claim to be considered without the usual proof, but the tribunal still decides whether the amounts are reasonable and properly connected to the case. Claims that look excessive, vague, or inconsistent with the hearing dates may be reduced or rejected. Keeping your figures realistic and your explanations clear gives the best chance of the expenses being paid in full.
Q Do I need SEND17 if I have some but not all of my receipts?
Yes, if any part of your claim is unsupported by proof. Attach the tickets and receipts you do have to the main SEND15A or SEND16A, then use SEND17 to cover only the journeys or fares where evidence is missing. This keeps the paperwork tidy and shows the tribunal exactly which items need the declaration and which are already documented.
Q Can both parents or a parent and a child use one SEND17?
Generally each person making a claim completes their own forms. If two people travelled and are both claiming, the tribunal will usually expect separate SEND15A or SEND16A forms, with a SEND17 from each person whose evidence is missing. Check the guidance notes on the main claim form, or ring the tribunal office, before assuming a single declaration will cover more than one claimant.
Q How soon after the hearing should I send the forms in?
Travel expense claims are time-sensitive, and the tribunal sets deadlines for submitting them after a hearing. Sending SEND17 together with the main claim form promptly, ideally within a few weeks of the journey, reduces the risk of it being refused as out of time. Check the current guidance on gov.uk or the covering letter from the tribunal for the exact deadline that applies to your case.
Travel expenses at the SEND Tribunal can be refused for small paperwork reasons, and it is not always obvious what the tribunal expects when proof is missing. An experienced legal adviser can help you think through your situation based on what you describe on the call, so you know what to put on the form and what to avoid.
✓Plain-English answers to your specific questions about SEND17
✓Practical perspective on how to describe missing tickets or receipts
✓Guidance tailored to what you describe about your tribunal claim
✓A clearer sense of your next steps before you submit
Personal call · For information only · Independent advisers
Written & reviewed by
Brad Askew Solicitor (non-practising)
Brad is on the roll of solicitors of England & Wales but does not hold a practising certificate and does not provide legal advice. LegalDocuments.co.uk is not a law firm and does not provide regulated legal advice.
This article is for general information only. It is a tool to help you find your way — not legal advice, and not a substitute for speaking to a qualified adviser about your situation.
