Difficulties in obtaining disabled bus pass, “fobbed off with no assessment made”

Posted on May 21, 2013 by admin

Disabled people write to us regularly on this topic, often saying they have asked about a disabled pass but are refused without any assessment being made of their eligibility. If so this amounts to sheer ‘fobbing people off’ by local government officials of people who may often be least well equipped to contest a decision.

We would be keen to hear from others who have experienced this, and also from those who have overcome difficulties in getting a disabled bus pass.

Our general recommendation is

  1. Don’t rely on verbal enquiries
  2. Check out for yourself whether you think you qualify – this is the Dept of Transport criteria:

You’re eligible for a disabled person’s pass if you live in England and are ‘eligible disabled’. This means you qualify under one or more of the following:

  • are blind or partially sighted

  • are profoundly or severely deaf are without speech

  • have a disability, or have suffered an injury, which has a substantial and long-term effect on your ability to walk

  • don’t have arms or have long-term loss of the use of both arms

  • have a learning disability

3.  The next step is to go to your local authority webpage, read the information there,  and if you think you may qualify, print off an application form.  Complete it and send it in – i.e get a decision on a proper basis,  don’t be fobbed off.

4.  It has been suggested to us by a Blue Badge holder (which entitles the holder to car parking privileges) that it will be helpful to hold a Blue Badge (we have checked this with local authority information,  which does often ask whether the applicant is a Blue Badge holder. )

5.  But I don’t have a car ? -  don’t let that worry you,  the badge can be used by a friend or relative when taking you as a passenger.

 

 

 

 

Posted in bus pass, Disabled, Local Councils | Leave a comment

Public Safety Charitable Trust to appeal High Court ruling on free rating issue

Posted on May 19, 2013 by admin

he Public Safety Charitable Trust plans to appeal this week’s High Court ruling that it cannot claim rate relief for the 1,500 empty commercial buildings it leases around the country.

The charity’s chief executive Mark Ferguson told civilsociety.co.uk today: “I’m not going to roll over. I’ve had the best legal advice possible for the last three years from solicitors, barristers and QCs and all of them have assured me that what we are doing is completely legitimate.”

Meanwhile, charity lawyer Moira Protani has accused the judge in the case of setting a “dangerous precedent” by allowing local authorities to overrule decisions of charity trustee boards.

On Tuesday this week, Mr Justice Sales in the High Court upheld an appeal by three local councils against claims for business rate relief by the Public Safety Charitable Trust (PSCT). The PSCT had been leasing more than 1,500 empty commercial buildings across the country, paying a peppercorn rent and thus allowing its landlords to avoid paying empty business rates on the properties because they were being used for charitable purposes.

The PSCT installed wireless internet transmitters in the buildings, to provide free wi-fi and allow crime reduction charities such as Crimestoppers to broadcast crime prevention messages via Bluetooth. It argued in court that these activities were charitable and so it was entitled to the rate relief.

Read more

Our comment: We need some common sense here, does the arrangement the charity has been using seem reasonable? And give local government a chance in the difficult financial situation that exists.

Posted in Charity/Charities | Leave a comment

JOIN Daily Express CRUSADE NOW: Hands off universal pensioner benefits

Posted on May 14, 2013 by admin

express_logo
The Daily Express opens a new front in its long-running crusade to protect the dignity of Britain’s 11 million pensioners.

Vital benefits earned after years of hard work are in danger as never before.

Now our new e-petition “Hands Off Universal Pensioner Benefits” will demonstrate to the Government the strength of feeling against the very real threats.

We are calling on all who believe pensioners have the right to keep their winter fuel allowance, bus pass and TV licence to go online and sign it.

If 100,000 people – just a fraction of Daily Express readers – do so, MPs will be forced to debate the issue in Parliament.

The e-petition is the latest move in our crusade Respect For The Elderly.

Pensioners now face a hat-trick of threats to remove free prescriptions and other non-means-tested benefits.

Senior Labour, Conservatives and Liberal Democrats have all warned that the universal benefits policy could be up for review.

Our full petition reads: “Politicians from all the main parties have suggested that the winter fuel allowance, free bus pass, TV licences for the over 75s and prescriptions for older people should either be means-tested or withdrawn.
Express Campaign

To sign the epetition click here

Posted in Benefits, pensioners | Leave a comment

Top Downing Street adviser travels to work using bus pass

Posted on May 12, 2013 by admin

In an interview in The Times, Saturday 11th May 2013 we are told that Lord Young (aged 81) is the only person in Downing Street with his own office other than the Prime Minister, and that he travel’s there with his free bus pass. He says “It is my most valuable asset. I get a thrill every time I walk through the Underground without paying” [he must be a holder of a London Freedom Pass] But he would be happy to sacrifice his winter fuel allowance. “I really shouldn’t have that, they should take it away from me”.

Posted in bus passes, freedom passes, Winter Fuel Payments | Leave a comment

Yorkshire Coastliner to debar free concessionary travel

Posted on May 9, 2013 by admin

NORTON councillors have expressed concerns over proposed changes to a local bus service.

The town council was told that from May 25, the local bus service, operated by Yorkshire Coastliner, will terminate at Rillington, with the bus continuing to Scarborough as an express service which will not stop at any intermediate points – even if someone is stood at the bus stop.

Councillors were told this meant that the communities between Rillington and Scarborough would have a service at 8.47am, with the next journey not until 2.15pm.
Click here to find out more!

Concessionary passengers who board the vehicle prior to Rillington could travel to Scarborough, but would have to pay a fare, possibly £3.

On journeys to Whitby, the local bus service will terminate at Thornton-le-Dale, which means no service for the communities of Lockton Lane End, Saltersgate Inn and Goathland until 2.05pm.

Coun Kevin Anderson said this would be a big blow to local people.

“What happens if you have a hospital appointment at Scarborough – you will have no chance of getting there,” he said.

Coun David Lloyd-Williams said every parish affected along the route needed to be made aware of the changes.

He said: “We need to get someone from Yorkshire Coastliner to the next parish liaison meeting to explain why they are taking these steps.
Read more

Posted in bus operators, bus travel, concessionary fares | Leave a comment

David Starkey: Pensioners should lose bus passes to solve ‘major national crisis’

Posted on May 4, 2013 by admin

DAVID Starkey has made an unequivocal stance against pensioner benefits claiming that Britain is ‘in a major national crisis’.

David-Starkey-has-hit-out-against-pensioner-benefits David Starkey has hit out against pensioner benefits

And as part of his argument he has claimed that pensioners should be taxed on their universal benefits and lose their bus passes.

Speaking on BBC’s Questiontime, he said: “The government pays very large sums to the bus companies. I think that the point of wealthy pensioners being taxed is absolutely unchallengeable.

“We should all be subjected to the same rates of tax and very definitely the heating allowance and tv licence and all the rest of it should simply be taxed. That would solve the entire problem.”

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Our comment: We’d go along with Starkey’s suggestions as long as non-wealthy taxpaying pensioners didn’t lose out – so increase the allowances and tax them. We very much doubt that Mr Starkey’s idea that “That would solve the entire problem.” – in fact his suggestion is laughable, and echos the government view that pruning here and there will get the economy expanding again.

Posted in Free TV Licences for elderly, taxation, Winter Fuel Payments | Leave a comment

Harriet Harman: Labour will ‘review’ pensioner benefits after all

Posted on May 3, 2013 by Barrie Pearce

The Candidate

Harriet Harman has become the second senior Labour figure to suggest benefits
like free bus passes could be taken away from wealthy pensioners.

Read More

Posted in Benefits, cold weather payments, concessionary fares, Free TV Licences for elderly, Winter Fuel Payments | Leave a comment

Our ‘Spot a wealthy bus pass user’ survey still seeks first reported sighting (1)

Posted on April 29, 2013 by admin

Once again the issue is raised of benefits enjoyed by wealthy older people – see Guardian Report – along with the suggestion that those in that category should refund the benefit to the government or give to charity. This is inevitably a never ending story. We should point out that our long running survey (see below) produced not a single report of a well known rich person using a bus pass. And we would also point out that the funding of bus passes is done on the basis of bus pass journeys registered, not on the number of bus passes issued.

Wealthy people making use of a bus pass is an issue that seems to concern many, especially Tory MPs. (e.g. report in Daily Telegraph) We find this intriguing as we have rarely spotted an obvious wealthy toff on our travels by bus pass. So we are inviting readers to help us assemble some facts on this phenomenon, by keeping a look out for wealthy toffs, and reporting the sightings to us at the Bus Passes blog. To help with this we are suggesting a number of clues to look for, e.g.
• suspected ‘toff’ gives driver £10 tip
• has a minder to handle his bus pass
• wearing a fur coat is a dead giveaway
• speaks in a very posh voice
• talks on a diamond studded iphone
• alights at 5 star hotel
• carefully dusts the seat before sitting down
• talks in loud voice about recent world cruise
• keep an eye out for celebrities: e.g Judi Dench, Michael Winner, Sean Connery, Alan Bennet, Mrs Thatcher, Vince Cable – well known celebrities are rarely ‘down on their heels’

This list is not meant to be exclusive, you may have your own method of spotting someone who is ‘loaded’ – we’d like to hear from you if you have a dead cert way of identifying one. Please use the comment form below to notify us with your ‘toff spots’

We will of course be pleased to accept your photos you have taken as corroboration.

Bus Passes Blog editor

Fred Robson

NB I may be famous for my work on this blog, but I am definitely not wealthy.

Posted in bus passes | 1 Comment

Should British Government boost growth with higher public investment?

Posted on April 29, 2013 by admin

Men from the Ministry Plan A
Since coming into office George Osborne, the Chancellor, has steadfastly refused to alter his budget austerity measures, known as Plan A. Ed Balls, for the Labour opposition, has made various calls to spend more in order to stimulate growth, known as Plan B.

Now Business Secretary Vince Cable, of the Lib Dems has broken coalition ranks by asking the question ‘should the British Government try to boost growth with higher public investment – even
if it means higher borrowing?’

Posted in politicians | Leave a comment

A new mattress tax for the UK ?

Posted on April 29, 2013 by admin

Men from the ministry mattress tax
Cypriots and foreign investors emptied ATMs after EU deal under which savers must surrender up to 10 percent of their banks deposits as a condition for securing a financial bailout.
UK Army personnel and civil servants stationed on the Island will be recompensed for any loss by the British Government.

Posted in Humour, taxation | Leave a comment

Government lacks a coherent energy strategy

Posted on April 29, 2013 by admin

Men from the Ministry olympic legacy

Extreme weather conditions for March have placed the UK’s energy supplies under extreme
pressure, opening up the debate regarding complaints that the government lacks a coherent energystrategy for the future.

Posted in Heating/Energy | Leave a comment

New benefit will have to submit their details online – can we cope ?

Posted on April 29, 2013 by admin

Menfrom the Ministry universal benefits
The government intends to replace all the major benefits
schemes with one new Universal Benefit, which will
be managed by two new super IT systems. Originally the intention was
pilot the scheme in four areas, but this has now been reduced to one and
put back to July 2013,with the full rollout in October.

An unconfirmed report suggests that all applicants for the new benefit will
have to submit their details online. Those of us who are familiar with
the introduction of big new IT projects might take some convincing that
this will work given that some applicants will lack both the skill and hardware
to operate this system.

The move from weekly to monthly payments and the implications this will have if people resort to Loan sharks or Payday loans to tied them over will be quite worrying to a lot of people.

Those who haven’t watched the ‘Little Britain’ series on the BBC probably won’t get the joke.

Posted in Benefits | Leave a comment

Capping Benefits – will this cap the lot ?

Posted on April 29, 2013 by admin

The Work and Pensions Secretary Secretary, Ian Duncan Smith’s plan
to Cap benefits got off to a start in four London boroughs by
capping benefits at no more than £500 per week. This covers all social security payments,
including income support, child benefit, incapacity benefit, job-seekers allowance,
employment support and Housing benefit. Eventually they will all be
replaced by the new Universal Benefit.

Universal Benefits

Posted in Benefits, Humour | Leave a comment

Fraud probe -100,000 bus passes confiscated

Posted on March 18, 2013 by admin

Almost 70,000 blue badges and 100,000 bus passes have been confiscated as part of a huge drive to detect fraud by cross-checking official records.

The travel scams form part of more than £1billion found to have been lost to fraud by the Audit Commission’s National Fraud Initiative (NFI).

Since it was launched in 1996, the NFI has also detected 15,000 cases of pension overpayments worth £450million, over £250million of housing benefit overpayments as well as incorrectly awarded single person council tax discounts amounting to £160million.

Read more:

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Pension boost for thousands to be fast-tracked by Osborne in Budget

Posted on March 18, 2013 by admin

Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne speaking on the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show on Sunday hinted at forthcoming benefits for the elderly

Silver lining: Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne speaking on the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show on Sunday hinted at forthcoming benefits for the elderly

Hundreds of thousands more Britons are to benefit from a new £155-a-week flat rate pension and accelerated reforms to the elderly care funding system.

In an appeal to the ‘grey vote’ in this week’s Budget, George Osborne is bringing forward by a year the biggest shake-up of the state pension since its inception more than a century ago.

Around 400,000 people approaching retirement will receive more generous payments when they stop work.

The Chancellor will also cut a proposed cap on social care costs from £75,000 to £72,000 – the amount after which the state will step in to prevent elderly people having to sell their homes.

It will come into effect a year early in 2016.

Read more:

Posted in pensioners, pensions, politicians | 2 Comments