New Deal Railcard for Jobseekers

[Sunshine12]

Not sure if this is on the right thread but wondered if anyone had one of these or any more info about it. Ive never heard of it up till now. Could come in handy for travelling to interviews etc. but not too sure of exact details and this is a bit vague...Has anyone got one of these via Job Centre?


http://www.railsaver.co.uk/railcard-...ewDealRailcard

[briona]

I haven't come across the railcard before but I knew there was a New Deal Stagecoach bus pass in existence. A quick Google brought up a thread on here. I have quoted it below:

Originally Posted by coolnamebob

Hello,

To anyone who is currently on JSA 'New Deal' scheme. Something the jobcentre may have omitted to tell you :

You are entitled to A 'New Deal' train and bus pass. These entitle you to half price fares for around 3 months. You just need to ask at the jobcentre and fill in a simple form with 2 passport photos.
When you buy a ticket you show it and get it half price

They have a habit of not mentioning this scheme to you .
But it can save you quite a lot if your travelling a lot on public transport.

Hope that helps.

Briona

[Sunshine12]

Thanks Briona.

Ive just phoned Job Centre (in Scotland, England may be different) and they are suggesting it no longer exists. Never sure though - they said they had never heard of it in the first place!!!

[briona]

I've just checked a few train websites and interestingly it ISN'T mentioned as a railcard option on Scotrail's site but it is on some of the English train companies' sites...

The link below shows some of the available railcards. If you are under 25 I would recommend the 16-25 Railcard. It costs £26 per year and you save up to 33% on each rail fare.

http://www.scotrail.co.uk/content/railcards.html

[Marsupial]

From the Rail Saver page:

There is a separate scheme in Scotland. Photocards are issued for periods of up to six months, but discounts are only available on Seven Day Season Tickets for journeys wholly within Scotland. JobCentres themselves also sell certain Standard Day Return tickets for Scottish journeys, again at a 50% discount.
The scheme is governed by an agreement between ATOC and Jobcentre Plus, which was renewed in 2002 and remains effective until either party proposes to end it.

You may want to check out those tickets you can buy from the Job Centre, if possible. Also, the list of accepted rail cards on a train site, such as Scot Rail may not be exhaustive. There is no mention of the New Deal Railcard on the South West Trains website, as far as I could see from a quick search but they certainly do accept it.

[Apolonation]

You can travel on the busses with a discount oyster card. You get a form from post office. Take them benefits letter. They issue you with photocard valid for 6 months. Half price oyster on busses for 6 months, regardless if you go back to work in the 6 months.

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tickets/faresandtickets/5568.aspx

Also looks like new deal photocard is still in use....

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tickets/faresandtickets/1024.aspx

[matthewkn]

I've just phoned up my local job centre (Newmarket) and they said the New Deal Railcard doesn't 'kick in' until about 6 months after you've been signing. Given that I've only been signing for a month I guess that means no discounted travel for me lol! Hope this helps clear a few things up for a few people

Matt

[SheppeyWardenBay]

Originally Posted by briona

I haven't come across the railcard before but I knew there was a New Deal Stagecoach bus pass in existence. A quick Google brought up a thread on here. I have quoted it below:



Hope that helps.

Briona

Hi, I am due to get a new deal railcard this week. It'll be my 2nd one. My JSA advisor is pretty good. Takes a couple of minutes to get sorted!!!

[InDebted2U]

Originally Posted by SheppeyWardenBay

Hi, I am due to get a new deal railcard this week. It'll be my 2nd one. My JSA advisor is pretty good. Takes a couple of minutes to get sorted!!!

Do they give you the card there and then on the spot if you have your passport photos? I was just looking at getting one of these in time to use next week.

[ian_h]

Sorry to retrieve an old thread but i have asked my adviser for one and been blanked as if they dont know what they are - then when I found a link on the national archives they told me it only applies to claimants in London - is there anything I can do to prove they still exist?

[MsHoarder]

I don't know about the New Deal Railcard, but I was told at my jobseekers' interview this week to ask the job centre for a pass to travel by train if I'm getting the train to interviews. So if you need to get a train in a hurry they might be able to do that for you.

[ian_h]

Thanks MsHoarder - I just wish I could find out if the railcard still exists for using when not attending a formal interview

[Torialou78]

wish I knew to. It sucks that you are expected to pay full price on no income :-/ not sure how I am supposed to get anywhere. As a non driver I am stuck pretty much solidly in the house. I can get concession at theatres and things but not to travel to local city's or on local bus it's wrong.

[Kirri]

You can claim for travel to interviews if out of your 'local area' and apply before the interview.

I've had a New Deal Railcard before, ie you are unemployed for 18 months before getting this and is 50% off trains wherever you are going UK wide. That was over a year ago, so not sure if New Deal has been replaced with a new scheme.

In London, after a certain time, can't remember now but kicks in way before the railcard does, is it after 6 months? you can get an Oyster discount, card issued from the JC, you take that to an Oyster point/station and they load the discount onto your Oyster to get 50% off bus tickets.

[ScaredCrow]

I had a New Deal card for about 3 months this year, and yes I was allowed to use it whenever I wanted within the 3 months which was very useful as it gave me 50% off any travel by train. However that was only whilst I was on a scheme called A4E(Action For Employment), which I had to attend on Mondays to Fridays. I was put in the A4E/New Deal scheme after 6 months on jobseekers. However I've been told the scheme no longer exists and don't think they give the New Deal card out anymore which is a shame. However I will be asking my advisor about it in the new year.

[Kirri]

I had a look online and can find info for London, seems like now can get the Oyster bus discount after 13 weeks and the replacement New Deal scheme, think it's called something like transport discount scheme, after 6 months.

[lennox16]

Originally Posted by Kirri

I had a look online and can find info for London, seems like now can get the Oyster bus discount after 13 weeks and the replacement New Deal scheme, think it's called something like transport discount scheme, after 6 months.

you no what ive never been on a forum in my hole life theres a first for every thing but we wont go in to that now this discount job seekers back to work card thing its politics i could call it somthing else but id be telling the truth enyway the only reason why i was trying to find out if it exists is that ive been signing on now for three weeks and boy im bored i only wanted to go to southend

[swabaxter]

The Card became available in Scotland to eligible
applicants on 1 April 2012. Earlier this week my
Jobcentre in East Kilbride had know knowledge of the Scheme
but after an email into the District Manager I have been issued
with the card today.
The applicant needs two passport sized photographs (typically
£5 for four in photo booth).
My card has been issued for three months and clearly states
its for Scotrail services only so no travel to England.

[shaz p]

I got my card today, having spent a lot of time looking at how to get a discount on rail travel and stumbling across this thread. I had a hospital appointment in Kent scheduled for 1.50pm and knew I'd be stretching my money to get the fare to travel from London to Kent.

My advice is to look up the relevant information before going to the Jobcentre, from websites like TFL, or visit the National Rail website and print off the information. Take it to the Jobcentre and show them. Take two passport pictures with you. If you have an oyster card, take it with you so that you can link you discount card to your oyster at the railway station.

Make sure you get the correct form to fill out. I asked for a discount railcard form and they gave me the wrong one which only covers trams and buses. It was only when I showed them the photo-copy of the JobcentrePlus travel discount card that they arranged an interview with an adviser who filled out the form with me.

I did tell him that I needed it urgently for a hospital appointment and he was sympathetic and rushed it through to the finance section who issued the card straight away. The whole thing was quick - got to the Jobcentre at 9.40 - went for a walk while the adviser finished an interview to finish and was out by 10.50 and on my way to Kent. Total cost of fare: £10.50 as opposed to £41.

The most relevant information is that the card lasts for 3 months and can be renewed when it expires multiple times; if you have an oyster card take it to the train station to link it, so you get half price travel and present it when paying for rail journeys . I've read that it can be used nationally as it is a way of encouraging people to look for work out of their area.