County rules mean my son cannot get a free bus pass

[Everydayisdolmioday]

Ds was getting DLA from being a baby to aged 10, then stopped at renewal despite no changes in his condition. We went to tribunal and lost which was very hard on my mental health.

I was told PIP might be different so when he was 17 I applied for that and he got enhanced rate in both categories. So I applied for his free bus pass and he doesn't qualify because they have changed the rules since he was 10. Enhanced rate of PIP for care and mobility no longer qualifies in our county and nobody in our county qualifies for a free companion on the buses either. Meanwhile in the neighbouring county he would qualify and for a free companion too.

I have been taking him on the bus once a week to practice, in the hope of him one day being able to get the bus to college on his own. I was going to do it more often when his free pass came but now that's not going to happen.

I know it's a small thing in the grand scheme of things and the council have no money but it's just one more way of many he has been let down by the system over the last 17 years.

I can't see how not being given free bus travel for 2 people is an example of being let down by the system? Isn't this what PIP is to be used for?

It seems reasonable that PIP which isn’t means tested could be used towards travel expenses.

If he is getting enhanced rate for mobility in his pip then isn’t that the money he should use for it.

nobody in our county qualifies for a free companion on the buses either.

Even if the PIP award goes towards the extra cost of transport, the fact the carer has to pay can affect things.

It's the same in my region. A PIP award provides a free bus pass, but carers have to pay out of their own pocket.

How much PIP does he receive per month?

I think it’s reasonable, bus tickets will be capped down to £2 soon enough.

Isn’t this what the enhanced mobility award in PIP is for?

There are so many people needing additional support it is likely that the days are numbered where the neighbouring county can continue to offer free bus passes all round.

Do you have a SEND travel training scheme in your area? An EHCP? Stuff like this can be covered as a life skill via an EHCP and travel training would teach him how to get the buss to college and use public transport.

No one care for the carers then ?

The person in receipt of PIP should be taking on the carers cost, eg travel, as the money is for the additional costs of the disability isn’t it?

In the absence of the parliamentary reference to the contrary I will state that PIP is not intended to cover secondary costs for carer travel.

You won't find it, as I have been needling my MP for 20 years over this.

It's not a bottomless pit of money

OP - one criteria for a disabled person's bus pass is that you'd be refused a driving licence for medical reasons other than drug or alcohol abuse. Has your son looked into this?

The point isn't about how much PIP he gets, it's that different counties have different rules. His pip already goes on other things anyway, it doesn't go far.

He was denied an ehcp, that's another way the system has let him down. Camhs wouldn't help him, even after he attempted suicide. They just assessed him, said they couldn't help and discharged him. There is something called bus buddies but he doesn't qualify. Any help he gets is provided by me and his Dad.

Have you tried applying anyway?

In our country the rules look very rigid but that’s actually only the automatic qualifying criteria. If you apply and don’t fit the auto rules then someone actually looks at it and decides.

Just apply anyway, as a pp has suggested.

The criteria is that you would be refused a drivers licence, is he fit to drive (if he wanted to) my dd gets a free pass due to seizures, nothing to do with pip. If you think he’s not fit to drive you can get something signed to say this to apply for a bus pass, you do not get a free carers ticket though

It's not fair that different counties have different rules. All I can suggest is you lobby your local MP. Which political party is in charge of your county? I'm in Staffordshire and look after 3 teens with disabilities and all have a free bus pass and a carer pass.

This is what the enhanced mobility element of his PIP is for to cover mobility costs I.e taxis, buses etc. so I really fail to see what the problem is. Your DS is effectively getting his free bus pass it’s just through is PIP payment rather than the local council.

Of course it is. It’s all down to what each council can afford.

Bus fares are now capped at £2 and his PIP is to help with travel costs. It all seems reasonable to me.

The £2 is coming in in January but they’re £3 at the moment. If you take multiple journeys a day a bus pass is probably better.

£12 a day for bus travel isn’t too onerous when it’s for two people.

As he has enhanced on both daily and mobilty, he will be getting £778 every four weeks.

First post has it. Absolutely insane any county offers this.

It does seem unfair that it's a postcode lottery. We are in a London borough and DS gets PIP and a Freedom Pass, which gives free travel on the tube, buses, trams and National Rail. We don't get free companion travel but I also have a Freedom Pass for my own disability. I have to admit it's meant we've been reluctant to consider moving house as another borough might ot might not authorise another Freedom Pass and it makes a huge difference to our lifestyle.

We do both get enhanced PIP for mobility and daily living but that needs to be spent on other disability costs and it doesn't go far.