Concessionary Bus Pass

briona

skgarg wrote: »

Also this restriction is to visas with working permition. The person working has or is working in Uk and paying taxes and Ni contributions too.
I am sorry but we are contributing to the economy and are doing more than the British or EEA citizens as they pay less and take more benefits. SO Yes you ahve missed out on the logic itself.

I find your post quite offensive.

Thousands upon thousands of British and EEA citizens not only work and pay into the system but do so without claiming anything from it. Regardless of that, let's not forget that the British Welfare State was set up to provide assistance to British citizens.

You came to the UK with the knowledge that you would have no recourse to public funds. I'm sorry that you're not eligible for this bus pass but the State has to draw a line somewhere...

Briona

PipsoG

I agree with DMG! If you are happy to contribute to the UK economy then why do you feel that you shouldn't have to pay from public transport costs?

Lots of disabled people contribute to the economy and don't think it is a right that they travel for free.

Who do you think is going to pay for you to travel free? You have chosen to come to this country - is there free travel in your own country? If so, who pays for it?

Life is not a free ride and everything has a cost - but there has to be a point when the money runs out and no means NO.

I get the feeling that the OP feels very "hard done by" Being disabled myself, I could feel the same each and every day but life is like that!

dmg24

PipsoG wrote: »

I agree with DMG! If you are happy to contribute to the UK economy then why do you feel that you shouldn't have to pay from public transport costs?

Lots of disabled people contribute to the economy and don't think it is a right that they travel for free.

Who do you think is going to pay for you to travel free? You have chosen to come to this country - is there free travel in your own country? If so, who pays for it?

Life is not a free ride and everything has a cost - but there has to be a point when the money runs out and no means NO.

I get the feeling that the OP feels very "hard done by" Being disabled myself, I could feel the same each and every day but life is like that!

Apparently someone did not agree as the post has been removed - any suggestions on what I wrote that was abusive?

briona

dmg24 wrote: »

Apparently someone did not agree as the post has been removed - any suggestions on what I wrote that was abusive?

Eh?! There wasn't anything offensive about your post! Funny how the one all but accusing Brits of being scroungers is still there!

PipsoG

There was NOTHING offensive about what DMG wrote!

I often think that when people start a topic on here and then don't get the reply they hope for they "throw teddy out of their pram"!

The bottom line is that if there is a cost implication then somebody has to pay and if you don't like having to pay for a service you have two choices - put up or shut up.

There is no lock on the door and you don't have to stay here if living here costs more than you are prepared to pay then move along.

skgarg

Just to clear up-
I am an immigrant and my wife needs a bus pass as she cannot speak due to stroke and she cannot ask for tickets or communicate. That is the reason a Bus pass is required and not because of reasons you all seem to be discussing.

We have 'No recourse to public funds' on visa but the UKBA websites class and list only certain items as public funds and not all, that are publicly funded. The list is as follows-

Attendance allowance
Carers allowance
Child Benefit
Child tax credit
Council tax benefit
Disability living allowance
Income Related Employment & Support Allowance - ESA (IR)
Health in Pregnancy Grant
Housing and homelessness assistance
Housing benefit
Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
Income support
Severe Disablement Allowance
Social fund payment
State pension credit
Working tax credit

Now, does this include Bus pass or not? that is my question.

Apparantly the discussion has really gone haywire about who pays for it on individual basis.
Please keep to the original question and if anyone can contribute please do so.

briona

skgarg wrote: »

I am an immigrant and my wife needs a bus pass as she cannot speak due to stroke and she cannot ask for tickets or communicate. That is the reason a Bus pass is required and not because of reasons you all seem to be discussing.

The Council has told you that bus passes ARE classed as public funds. Since you have no recourse to public funds, there really is nothing you can do – I'm afraid your wife's apparent "necessity" doesn't change the rules.

At the risk of getting flamed, I respectfully suggest that rather than repeatedly complaining about not being entitled to a bus pass, you address your wife's loss of speech in a more proactive way, e.g., accompanying her on said bus trips, or making a laminated printed card that she could show the bus driver.

Briona

PipsoG

a concessionary bus pass is paid for by central government and therefore is a recourse to public funds. Who do you think pays the bus company to allow passenger to travel for free?

You have listed a number of welfare benefits some of which are means tested but a concessionary bus pass is not in the list as the they are not issued by the Department for Work & Pensions.

Although it must be very difficult for any person who cannot communicate for whatever reason the rules concerning the issue of a card to gain free bus travel are very clear and quite straightforward.

Your have come to this country on the understanding that you will support yourself financially and that is the law of the country.

You have been refused - that is the bottom line - you asked, and were told no.

Equally, you have sought advice from Citizens Advice and people on the Forum and they have all told you the same thing.

You seem to think that this discussion has gone "haywire" but each contributor has tried to explain why your wife has been refused - but you seem to want the "t's" crossed and the "i's" dotted.

NO - You Can't Have a Bus Pass For Your Wife as it is funded by Central Government and is therefore recourse to public funds.

PipsoG

Briona, that seems a brilliant suggestion - I think that if a member of my family had a difficulty in communicating I would be very concerned about them going on any transport alone. What happens in an emergency?

kingfisherblue

In my area, you can only get a bus pass if you have certain disabilities. I have just applied for my son (in January) and I have been told that Merseytravel require all applicants to have a medical. I queried this, as my son is on DLA (high rate care and high rate mobility), but their rule is that everyone has a medical, regardless of disability, DLA rates, etc. Of course, this means that there is a waiting list and his medical is at the end of May.

This is the link to medical conditions allowed by Merseytravel:

http://www.merseytravel.gov.uk/information_tickets_disability.asp

I'm afraid I have no idea about your questions regarding public funds, but the list you posted is actually a list of benefits payable - there are other things paid for out of public funds that do not appear on the list (such as mortgage interest payments) that are not paid directly to the recipient. I don't know anything about immigration rules, but if they state that there is no recourse to public funds, then I doubt if your wife would get the bus pass, as they are paid out of public funds, although the payment of them goes directly to the transport authority for the area.

Reading back, I don't think I have explained very well. I know that a proportion of council tax in my town is paid to Merseytravel. Presumably this pays towards concessionary bus passes (I know some pays towards the Mersey Tunnel as well, but that is by the by). If I am correct, and Merseytravel are paid for the bus passes by local government (or in a different manner, either by local or national government), then surely this counts as public funds? In which case, it doesn't sound as though your wife can get a concessionary bus pass.