Disabled Bus Pass

I have a disabled bus pass and recently found out (whilst travelling to a hospital appointment) that I’m not entitled to use it/travel for free before 9.30am.
Comments
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Thank you @woodbine for your comments. I definitely do appreciate what I get completely. I just wished sometimes LA would all do the same. I know in London a disabled pass has no time restrictions at all.Sometimes I feel like it’s a ‘postcode war’ with what you get support with or not.But thank you for your time to respond to my post 🙂1
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In London, there is no time restriction on Freedom Passes for the disabled, but if you claim any income-related benefits you can claim from the NHS, you may also look into Dial a Ride and Taxi Card1
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woodbine said:Like pensioners bus passes disabled bus passes are valid after 9-30 am in most areas, if you were working you would get free Tavel after 9-30 and for the rest of the day.
it's the LA who make the rules and to be blunt I see no discrimination just the benefit of free travel after 9-30 am, we should be grateful for what we get to be honest. If you have to travel to hospital for an appointment before 9-30 and pay bus fare depending on the benefits you get you might be able to reclaim the fare, or you could make sure you get appointments at a time that would give you free travel.
My disabled bus pass has saved me lots of money over the last 18 years and like many people I am grateful for it.
Incidentally because of this time restriction and very few buses being in operation the LA decided that I didn't need the pass and quickly had me hand it back.0 -
If you're travelling to NHS treatment you can claim the costs back here
https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/sites/default/files/2023-06/HC5(T) (V11) online - 06.2023.pdf0 -
I believe it's similar to the reason many railcards have a minimum fare of £12 before 10am on weekdays. Those are morning commuter hours, generally the busiest time for public transit, and so the period of highest revenue.
Someone has probably calculated how much it would "cost" to have bus passes and railcards fully apply during the morning commute and it's been deemed too costly.2 -
Danlangridge88 said:If you're travelling to NHS treatment you can claim the costs back here
https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/sites/default/files/2023-06/HC5(T) (V11) online - 06.2023.pdf
I suppose that you can get paid at the hospital but that is another expedition and a half making sure that you have been signed into the outpatients which you can only get when you have seen the doctor. More often than not by the time you go for your money they have shut up shop.
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I can use my disabled bus pass in my local county anytime; outside of my local county it is 09.30 to 11.00pm. In London it is anytime.
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at least you still got yours, mine was taken off me because bridgend council changed the rules. It use to be you needed to have pip to get the pass now you need 8 points in 1 catagory on your pip claim.
Its now easier to get pip then it is to get a disability bus pass in bridgend.0 -
Penybont said:at least you still got yours, mine was taken off me because bridgend council changed the rules. It use to be you needed to have pip to get the pass now you need 8 points in 1 catagory on your pip claim.
It’s now easier to get pip then it is to get a disability bus pass in bridgend.That’s what I mean. I think all LA in England & Wales should be using the same guidelines. It feels like your disability means more or less to different county’s.0 -
Penybont said:at least you still got yours, mine was taken off me because bridgend council changed the rules. It use to be you needed to have pip to get the pass now you need 8 points in 1 catagory on your pip claim.
Its now easier to get pip then it is to get a disability bus pass in bridgend.
There will be other qualifying criteria outside of PIP.
Is there another route you might qualify?
https://tfw.wales/travelcard/eligibility
I myself in England pay for a GP letter and apply under
Have a disability, or have suffered an injury, which has a substantial and long-term effect on your ability to walkMight this one be applicable for you :- Would be refused a driving licence under Part III of the Road Traffic Act 1988 pursuant to section 92 of that Act (physical fitness)
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Kimmy87 said:Penybont said:at least you still got yours, mine was taken off me because bridgend council changed the rules. It use to be you needed to have pip to get the pass now you need 8 points in 1 catagory on your pip claim.
Its now easier to get pip then it is to get a disability bus pass in bridgend.
There will be other qualifying criteria outside of PIP.
Is there another route you might qualify?
https://tfw.wales/travelcard/eligibility
I myself in England pay for a GP letter and apply under
Have a disability, or have suffered an injury, which has a substantial and long-term effect on your ability to walkMight this one be applicable for you :- Would be refused a driving licence under Part III of the Road Traffic Act 1988 pursuant to section 92 of that Act (physical fitness)
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These are the criteria for Wales (see link already posted)
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I have pip, I have a condition called ankylosis spondylitis which is a auto immune disease and arthritis and was given a disabled bus pass back in 2018/2019. In 2021 they changed the design of the card and ask for evidence I was allowed to have pass I provided them with same evidence I used to get pass and was allowed to keep it.
In 2022 they asked again to proof I was still entilied to the pass and again I provided same evidence as before but this time they said i did not qualify for the pass because they changed the rules.
It use to be if your on pip and have a disabilty that meet ceratin requirements, mobility was on of them, that is why i was given the pass. In 2022 they changed it to you need 8 point in one catorgory on your pip claim to get the pass.0 -
Penybont said:I have pip, I have a condition called ankylosis spondylitis which is a auto immune disease and arthritis and was given a disabled bus pass back in 2018/2019. In 2021 they changed the design of the card and ask for evidence I was allowed to have pass I provided them with same evidence I used to get pass and was allowed to keep it.
In 2022 they asked again to proof I was still entilied to the pass and again I provided same evidence as before but this time they said i did not qualify for the pass because they changed the rules.
It use to be if your on pip and have a disabilty that meet ceratin requirements, mobility was on of them, that is why i was given the pass. In 2022 they changed it to you need 8 point in one catorgory on your pip claim to get the pass.0 -
basic pip not sure of the name but get £274.35 every 4 weeks0
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Penybont said:basic pip not sure of the name but get £274.35 every 4 weeksYou must have qualified because of your health conditions.0
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A bus driver told me that the reason we can't use disabled bus passes before 09.30am is because the seats are needed for people going to work.
I suppose that's fair enough really, at least we get it free for the rest of the day.
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Does anyone know if we can use our disabled bus passes in London if they're issued in counties outside of London.
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I'm pretty sure you can. You can use a freedom pass oyster all over England on busses. Does your pass have a red rose on it? If so that symbol means you can use it across the whole of England... on local busses. Not quite sure what that class as local or not but yeh
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You're not in london are you,becsuse you can use the freedom pass any time of day on any bus as well as tubes. There's only some restrictions on national rail service before 9:30.
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