Hello,
My Grandson's walking is terrible he walks poorly and complains of pains in the muscles I know he has something called Dyspraxia and I believe that may be what effects him? When he was in school the head mistress filed out a forum for me so he got a little bit of money (helped pay for bus tickets) from the DLA now PIP. I was browsing the internet but not sure how passes are given out as I got mine when retried.

Thank you
John

http://www.nexus.org.uk/concessions/disabled-adult

Where do you live? In London you get them from TfL.

Your grandson will need to apply himself if he is an adult. If he is on PIP mobility then he might not get a pass as well as that is sometimes seen as double funding.

Hello,
He gets the lowest rate for mobility. I don't know if Dyspraxia is enough to make a person eligible for a pass.
Regards John

I'm not sure that you have to be disabled. I would have thought anyone could buy a bus pass, like buying a season ticket. Contact your local bus service.

The money he gets from DLA/PIP is meant to cover the cost of buying a bus pass. I've never heard of anyone getting a free bus or rail card unless they're pension age. Never heard of them being discounted for disabled people either. My daughter gets middle rate at the moment (because we can still carry her or put her in a buggy.)

My BiL buys his weekly because it's cheaper than a yearly one.

Don't know much about it I'm afraid. Do you mean a disabled person's bus pass? There's some info here if you do https://www.gov.uk/apply-for-disabled-bus-pass

Ask in DS "Advice", LakieLady is very knowledgeable with benefits etc and ever so helpful.

For a disabled persons bus pass, (which is free) your grandson needs to usually go to the council. Generally, he needs proof that he's been refused a driving licence for reasons other than drugs or alcohol or has a permanent walking disability. He'll also need proof of address.

His local council website should give more advice.

I don't know about anything outside of London. In London a Freedom Pass can be issued for anyone with a eligible disability as set out under the Transport Act 2000. These are:

1) People who are blind or partially sighted

2) People who are profoundly or severely deaf

3) People without speech

4) People who have a disability, or have suffered an injury, which has left them with a substantial and long-term adverse effect on their ability to walk

5) People who do not have arms or have a long-term loss of the use of both arms

6) People who have a learning disability that is defined as 'a state of arrested or incomplete development of mind which includes significant impairment of intelligence and social functioning'

7) People who, if they applied for the grant of a licence to drive a motor vehicle under Part III of the Road Traffic Act 1988, would have their application refused pursuant to section 92 of the Act (physical fitness) otherwise than on the ground of persistent misuse of drugs or alcohol.

I would guess that other councils would use the same criteria as the legislation is national (if you're outside of England then I have no idea).


Again, I can only talk about London but anyone that meets the disability criteria can apply for a Freedom Pass. It's unrelated to age. I used to work with young people who were effectively triple funded for transport as they got DLA mob, a Freedom Pass and then free transport to college provided by their Local Authority.

Edit: that's reminded me, the LA paid for all three (which is why it was odd) so Tiger Rag is right, contact your local council as they are the ones who pay for all mobility/transport benefits.

I get DLA (low mobility rate) and also a Freedom Pass under criteria 7 - I'm epileptic.

It seems on looking that the Freedom Pass/Bus Pass criteria are the same nationally

Hello,
Thank you all for your help, I will take him to the doctors and bring up the aforementioned information if get no joy will visit services at the town hall
Regards.

Well I am happy to stand corrected! Neither my aunt nor my disabled neighbour, neither of whom could drive, were aware that they could have free bus travel. In Wales the freedom pass is usually mentioned as over 60s only, I've never been made aware it's for certain disabilities too. Something they don't publicise too widely.

Go get one, I was able to get mine after starting chemo (aged 34) and it lasts for 3 years! It's been a huge cost saver to get me back and fourth between hospital appointments. I remember they didn't publicise it either like most things from the Welsh government.

Not sure about England but up here in Scotland junkies and alcoholics do get 'free' bus passes, free as in they don't pay the taxpayer does, their passes often allow a 'companion' to travel 'free' with them

Look at your local council's website. Higher rate PIP automatically gets you a buss pass but with lower rate PIP you have to make a case and that'll include providing a doctor's/consultant's evidence letter. Since this is devolved to councils, there's no common standard so a particular set of circumstances will get you a buss pass in council but not in your neighbouring one, that kind of thing.

You and your grandson can also ask for help with the application from your local Citizens Advice Bureau: https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/ab...advice/advice/ (just plug in the postcode)

Finally, good luck to both of you.

You don't get it for being an alcoholic or drug user but there is almost certainly some overlap of need/issues in the 20% of the population who use 80% of services.

Many people don't realise that you don't have to have ever actually applied for a driving licence to be eligible for a bus pass / freedom pass under Part 7:

7) People who, if they applied for the grant of a licence to drive a motor vehicle under Part III of the Road Traffic Act 1988, would have their application refused pursuant to section 92 of the Act (physical fitness) otherwise than on the ground of persistent misuse of drugs or alcohol.


And 'physical fitness' can include mental illness or developmental disorders, or effects of medication, which would impact on someone's ability to drive - a GP can usually write a supporting letter and you can apply on someone else's behalf if they are not capable of filling out the form (available from the council).

Also individual councils can offer 'discretionary passes' to those who don't meet the statutory criteria but that the council considers to have a need. 'Discretionary passes' are usually only valid on buses in the local area or transport in London only for the London ones, whereas the statutory passes are valid on all buses in the country (England, Wales, etc) and also often on other forms of transport in the local area, though there may be peak restrictions.

It sounds from what you write that your grandson might also be eligible for a statutory free pass under Part 4:

People who have a disability, or have suffered an injury, which has left them with a substantial and long-term adverse effect on their ability to walk

OP - firstly we need to know which council area your grandson lives in

You provided a link for Tyne and Wear - does he live in one of the boroughs there if yes then follow the instructions and call the relevant local council.

However the disabled persons bus pass only provides free travel normally after 9.30am so is no use for going to school normally.

Children with disabilities can get free home to school transport - see the link. That is far better than buses as it takes you to school amd direct back home.

https://www.gov.uk/apply-school-tran...onal-needs-sen

Good luck!

it depends upon where you live, i`m restricted in cambs but when i go to berkshire i can get on the bus any old time and a friend in liverpool can use his whenever he likes there too, he might be lucky.

Likewise in London both elderly and disabled passes are valid on all transport modes in zones 1-6 and some routes beyond,at all times, except on some national rail services where they are only valid off-peak, usually after 9:30. Sometimes elderly and disabled people have to make early appointments so I think it is right not to restrict them - the national rail companies are overcrowded because they run a poor service, not because of freedom pass holders (see Southern Rail thread!).

Annette - I'm curious, does your pass give you free off-peak travel on rail services in Cambridgeshire as well as bus services in England?

no i`m afraid not, in cambs they`d charge you for the steam off their piss if they could.

Lol that seems kind of unfair of them - I know there are the disabled and senior railcards but they only give 1/3 off. So much for an integrated transport system...

Yes you do, I should know, I'm a driver for Stagecoach, I'm off to start my shift in 20 minutes!

All junkies and alcoholics or just some of them?

Did you read this in the Daily Mail?

This.

I often wonder what the criteria for this is. Where I live it is not the norm for people to be paying for bus travel. They are on and off the bus all day with their companion tickets but are often on the buses alone. What necessitates the companion ticket? You would think, obviously they can't go out alone but are doing so all the time.

Meanwhile those if us who are travelling to work are paying an exorbitant amount for the privilege. Maybe if the government were serious about getting people into work it would be an idea to give out the free passes to those who need it for work purposes.