A mum has branded Kent County Council (KCC) “heartless” over how much it is charging for her grieving daughter’s school bus pass.

Andrea Kasinathan, who lives in Hawkinge, says 17-year-old Holly only used the KCC Travel Saver to attend Simon Langton Girls’ Grammar in Canterbury “a handful of times”.

Holly was then signed off school with mental health problems following the death of her father and other close family members.

But last month, KCC requested the full payment of £510 for the yearly pass - before agreeing to lower the fee to £178 after being made aware of the circumstances.

However, Ms Kasinathan believes this is still too much.

“My husband died in 2017 and Holly hadn't properly dealt with that grief for a number of years,” said the 58-year-old.

“She was too emotional to go to school and we knew she couldn't carry on.

“I was shocked when I received the email. I explained what had happened and they were heartless.

“I was disgusted about how little concern they had. It was all about money for them.

“They have reduced the cost to £178 but this is still not acceptable. This is a service and my daughter hasn't used it.

“Why should we pay that much?”

In the space of just five months, Holly’s dad, grandmother and uncle all passed away from cancer and Ms Kasinathan described it as an “incredibly difficult time” for the family.

In September, Holly was getting ready to start her first year of sixth form at Simon Langton but became “too emotional to go to school”.

Just six weeks into the first term, Ms Kasinathan agreed with the school that Holly would defer a year and go back in September 2024.

The £510 yearly bus fare works out at £41 per month and Ms Kasinathan says she would only be willing to pay a fee of £82 for the six weeks of use.

She added: “KCC failed to take the payment originally even after I set up a direct debit.

“The bus pass was then cancelled and KCC did not ask for the money until 10 months after this.

“The way they have been and the lack of remorse for what we have been through has been appalling.

“I’m happy to pay the fair amount.

“Why should a vulnerable girl who is grieving be expected to pay more?”

Since being signed off of school in October, Holly has been working part-time and is preparing to resume her studies later this year.

Ms Kasinathan told the Express that Simon Langton bosses dealt with the situation in a “completely different way to KCC” and have been “understanding throughout”.

“Holly originally carried on when her dad died as if nothing happened.

“But her mental health started to deteriorate and she was put on anti-depressants,” she said.

“The school have been so understanding of our situation and they have let Holly start in September this year.

“I just want KCC to be fair with me but I don't think they intend to move on this.”

A KCC spokesperson said: "The KCC Travel Saver schemes are subsidised by KCC, costing over £5 million per year and accessed by over 25,000 students.

“We are unable to be aware of all the individual circumstances affecting customers, unless we are notified.

“At the end of each year, the system seeks to collect any outstanding balances with all customers.

"In this particular case, the process identified that no payment for the pass had been made, despite it being collected and used.

“The debt was therefore pursued in accordance with the usual process.

"We have now been made aware of the individual's circumstances and have agreed to waive part of the pass cost, consistent with the terms and conditions of the scheme.

“We are sorry for any distress caused."