Council to Test Right to 'Freedom Passes'

11.15.28am UTC (GMT +0000) Tue 15th Feb 2005

The Council is embarking on a reassessment of disabled peoples' entitlement to Freedom Passes (pensioners are entitled as of right). There are government regulations stipulating, in broad terms, which groups should be granted Freedom Passes but the Council has some discretion and there have been bitter arguments in the past (2001/2) when large numbers of local disabled people were refused Passes.

Vincent Cable MP said: "The Freedom Pass for disabled people is a very controversial and divisive issue. Under the government rules only the seriously disabled (on higher rate Disability Living Allowance) qualify but few of these are able to use public transport while those who are partially mobile and need Passes are denied them. There is a particular problem for the mentally ill, large numbers of whom have been denied Passes by the Council in the past, though they would derive particular benefit from the opportunity to be mobile.

"I have taken up the case of people with learning difficulties who are being asked to submit evidence of an IQ test showing that they score under 70. IQ tests have been seriously discredited and haven't been used for educational purposes for 25 years. The Council should look again at this issue."