Freedom Pass taken away from Hounslow resident
Transport for All
Transport for All supports the Freedom Pass...
Transport for All supports the Freedom Pass and believe it should be given to all Londoners who are entitled to it.
Sadly, over the period of the Freedom Pass renewal process, we have learned of some councils taking this opportunity not to re-issue the pass, especially to those who have been given the pass on a ‘discretionary’ basis. This means people who fall outside of the automatic eligibilty criteria as laid out by the Department for Transport, may still be entitled to concessionary travel.
The BBC reported on one such case in Hounslow, where a woman who has had the pass for many years was refused during the renewal process after being told her IQ was too high. Transport for All Director, Faryal Velmi was intervied by the BBC last week.
Read the article and see the newsclip here.
The Freedom Pass is vital to many older and disabled Londoners in order to get out and about.
We believe it is a false economy for local authorities to withdraw this service from those who need it as the effects on people socially and personally could be at the expense of physical and mental health.
We strongly advocate councils engage in fair and transparent assessments based on access requirements and mobility issues rather than the desire to cut costs.
