Hackney targets the vulnerable in its FREEDOM PASS curb
John | 04.02.2002 18:12
Hackney's plan to cut 20 per cent of its FREEDOM PASSES is blatantly unfair. “We are calling on everyone affected or concerned by these cuts to come to an open meeting on Monday, 18th February,2002 at 6pm in Chats Palace, Chatsworth Road, E5, to discuss various challenges to this policy,” said a member of the Save Hackney Disabled People’s FREEDOM PASS campaign.
Hackney targets the vulnerable in its FREEDOM PASS curb
While a lavish London-wide publicity campaign was launched this week (February 4, 2002) at the London Eye to encourage disabled people to take up the FREEDOM PASS, Hackney laid out plans to withdraw 20% of its FREEDOM PASSES, hitting its disabled residents hardest. Hackney’s policy to cut entitlement to concessionary travel is racist, sexist, ageist and blatantly unfair, a disabled group announced today.
“Hackney’s FREEDOM PASS cutbacks have been aimed at members of the Afro-Caribbean community, women, the poor, the mentally ill and people living with AIDS, who are already some of its most vulnerable and marginalised residents,” the group revealed today.
“We are calling on everyone affected or concerned by these cuts to come to an open meeting on Monday, 18th February, at 6pm in Chats Palace, Chatsworth Road, E5, to discuss various challenges to this policy,” said John, a member of the Save Hackney Disabled People’s FREEDOM PASS campaign.
“Hackney’s Social Services has targeted its £5 million cutbacks to hit some of its most vulnerable residents and assumes we won’t fight back,” the spokesperson added.
Hackney's new criteria for eligibility to concessionary travel is not in line with the new Act; its Social Services department has chosen to exclude disabled people with variable conditions, with multiple contributing factors and with so-called “invisible” disabilities, the group claims.
Hackney’s new policy will most hit the FREEDOM PASS holders from the following groups:
Afro-Caribbeans – who are susceptible to painful Sickle Cell disorders;
Women, particularly in their 40s and 50s – who are more susceptible to multiple and variable disabling conditions such as Arthritis, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, M.E. and diffuse Repetitive Strain Injuries;
the poor – who are more susceptible to multiple and variable disabling conditions such as chronic Asthma and TB;
people with mental illnesses – who are more susceptible to undetected disabling conditions; and
people living with AIDS – who are more susceptible to multiple and variable disabling conditions such as opportunistic infections.
Hackney's Social Services has chosen to misinterpret the criteria for the FREEDOM PASS under the new Transport Act, the group claims. The Department of Transport, Local Government and Regions (DETR) guidance states that the new Act should be "extended to disabled people in the same seven categories, failing which the reserve free scheme should be triggered. Other than extending entitlement, the Act need in practice have no effect on the present arrangements for the Freedom Pass in London."
“Far from extending entitlement, our Council has chosen to ignore provisions in the Act for disabled people with variable conditions and for those with more than one contributing disability. Thus it’s much more difficult to qualify for entitlement to the FREEDOM PASS in Hackney”, said the spokesperson. The Save Hackney Disabled People’s FREEDOM PASS group will campaign individually and under the umbrella of Disability Hackney.
To qualify for the FREEDOM PASS, the Act states that the disability is likely to last at least 12 months and have a substantial effect on a person’s ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.
However, Hackney's policy is in direct conflict with the Government's Strategy Guidance on Concessionary Fares for the Disabled (2001) which states:
+ It should not be necessary for the effect of the impairment to be the same throughout the period - it may worsen or diminish at different times – [but local authorities should nevertheless satisfy themselves that it will have (or be likely to have) such an effect throughout the period].
+ A person may have more than one disability which would cause them to be eligible for the concession.
Hackney has chosen not to published either of the two (above) factors in its literature when asking applicants to re-apply under the new criteria.
Ironically, Hackney will achieve its swingeing cuts by creating a new Mobility Unit which, in itself, will lead to a one-off overspend for 2001/02 of £254,433, according to its Social Services Committee report (13 November 2001).
The Save Hackney Disabled People’s FREEDOM PASS group rejects claims that many disabled people had been phoning Hackney’s Social Services department expressing support for the new policy. “If it is true”, the spokesperson said, “let the department provide a demographic breakdown of these phone callers’ profiles, indicating how many of them also come from these marginalised and deprived sections of the community.”
The Save Hackney Disabled People’s FREEDOM PASS group also rejects claims by Hackney’s Social Services department that there are too many disabled people in the Borough. “Council officials should be celebrating the Borough’s diversity rather than treating us like pariahs”, the spokesperson said. “Many regional, national and international charities and disability organisations have chosen to headquarter in Hackney and their workers live locally. What sort of message does this send out?” the spokesperson said.
Hackney’s Social Services is demanding that many people with mobility disabilities provide a medical report from a specialist consultant in orthopaedics or neurology (confirming the ill effects of walking 100 metres) even though the cause of the walking disability might be neither orthopaedic nor neurological, the spokesperson added.
To be eligible for a FREEDOM PASS in many London boroughs, such as Hammersmith & Fulham, the only requirement is to be registered as a disabled person.
Lev, a local man with disabilities said: “I have a multitude of disabilities, none of which will, individually, entitle me to a FREEDOM PASS under Hackney’s savage new criteria. My medications make me nauseous and I have a bladder problem and need to urinate frequently. I qualify for Incapacity Benefit and survive on little more than £69 a week, which is quite tough in Inner London. Luckily, I get free therapy at a venue in south west London but need to travel there several times a week. I’ve developed an encyclopaedic knowledge of tube stations and bus stops near to toilets, where I can break my journey to vomit or pee (luckily I get plenty of advanced warning!).”
“When my FREEDOM PASS is withdrawn in March, I won’t be able to afford to break my journey anymore. Consequently, I’ll be forced to vomit or relieve myself on the bus or tube. That won’t be in the interest of fellow passengers, the travel companies, their staff or me. But what choice do I have? I can’t afford to buy several One-day passes a week on my income and I need to travel for my therapy,” added Lev.
The Director of Hackney’s Social Services is Mary Richardson. Formerly, she was head of Haringey’s Social Services.
Contacts:
Sanusie Sesay Disability Hackney – telephone 020 7923 1962
Kate Adams – Incapacity Action – telephone 01227 276159
Out of hours Press contact: John – telephone 020 7241 0333
Email:
hackneyfreedompass@lycos.com
The “Save Hackney Disabled People’s FREEDOM PASS” campaign will be held on Monday, 18th February, at 6pm in Chats Palace, Chatsworth Road, E5.
The London-wide publicity campaign was launched by the Association of London Government on February 4, 2002, at the Salvador Dali Exhibition and the British Airways London Eye to encourage disabled people to take up the FREEDOM PASS. Free access to the exhibition and the London Eye was granted to Freedom Pass holders that morning. Invitations were sent out to London’s 33 councils.
While a lavish London-wide publicity campaign was launched this week (February 4, 2002) at the London Eye to encourage disabled people to take up the FREEDOM PASS, Hackney laid out plans to withdraw 20% of its FREEDOM PASSES, hitting its disabled residents hardest. Hackney’s policy to cut entitlement to concessionary travel is racist, sexist, ageist and blatantly unfair, a disabled group announced today.
“Hackney’s FREEDOM PASS cutbacks have been aimed at members of the Afro-Caribbean community, women, the poor, the mentally ill and people living with AIDS, who are already some of its most vulnerable and marginalised residents,” the group revealed today.
“We are calling on everyone affected or concerned by these cuts to come to an open meeting on Monday, 18th February, at 6pm in Chats Palace, Chatsworth Road, E5, to discuss various challenges to this policy,” said John, a member of the Save Hackney Disabled People’s FREEDOM PASS campaign.
“Hackney’s Social Services has targeted its £5 million cutbacks to hit some of its most vulnerable residents and assumes we won’t fight back,” the spokesperson added.
Hackney's new criteria for eligibility to concessionary travel is not in line with the new Act; its Social Services department has chosen to exclude disabled people with variable conditions, with multiple contributing factors and with so-called “invisible” disabilities, the group claims.
Hackney’s new policy will most hit the FREEDOM PASS holders from the following groups:
Afro-Caribbeans – who are susceptible to painful Sickle Cell disorders;
Women, particularly in their 40s and 50s – who are more susceptible to multiple and variable disabling conditions such as Arthritis, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, M.E. and diffuse Repetitive Strain Injuries;
the poor – who are more susceptible to multiple and variable disabling conditions such as chronic Asthma and TB;
people with mental illnesses – who are more susceptible to undetected disabling conditions; and
people living with AIDS – who are more susceptible to multiple and variable disabling conditions such as opportunistic infections.
Hackney's Social Services has chosen to misinterpret the criteria for the FREEDOM PASS under the new Transport Act, the group claims. The Department of Transport, Local Government and Regions (DETR) guidance states that the new Act should be "extended to disabled people in the same seven categories, failing which the reserve free scheme should be triggered. Other than extending entitlement, the Act need in practice have no effect on the present arrangements for the Freedom Pass in London."
“Far from extending entitlement, our Council has chosen to ignore provisions in the Act for disabled people with variable conditions and for those with more than one contributing disability. Thus it’s much more difficult to qualify for entitlement to the FREEDOM PASS in Hackney”, said the spokesperson. The Save Hackney Disabled People’s FREEDOM PASS group will campaign individually and under the umbrella of Disability Hackney.
To qualify for the FREEDOM PASS, the Act states that the disability is likely to last at least 12 months and have a substantial effect on a person’s ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.
However, Hackney's policy is in direct conflict with the Government's Strategy Guidance on Concessionary Fares for the Disabled (2001) which states:
+ It should not be necessary for the effect of the impairment to be the same throughout the period - it may worsen or diminish at different times – [but local authorities should nevertheless satisfy themselves that it will have (or be likely to have) such an effect throughout the period].
+ A person may have more than one disability which would cause them to be eligible for the concession.
Hackney has chosen not to published either of the two (above) factors in its literature when asking applicants to re-apply under the new criteria.
Ironically, Hackney will achieve its swingeing cuts by creating a new Mobility Unit which, in itself, will lead to a one-off overspend for 2001/02 of £254,433, according to its Social Services Committee report (13 November 2001).
The Save Hackney Disabled People’s FREEDOM PASS group rejects claims that many disabled people had been phoning Hackney’s Social Services department expressing support for the new policy. “If it is true”, the spokesperson said, “let the department provide a demographic breakdown of these phone callers’ profiles, indicating how many of them also come from these marginalised and deprived sections of the community.”
The Save Hackney Disabled People’s FREEDOM PASS group also rejects claims by Hackney’s Social Services department that there are too many disabled people in the Borough. “Council officials should be celebrating the Borough’s diversity rather than treating us like pariahs”, the spokesperson said. “Many regional, national and international charities and disability organisations have chosen to headquarter in Hackney and their workers live locally. What sort of message does this send out?” the spokesperson said.
Hackney’s Social Services is demanding that many people with mobility disabilities provide a medical report from a specialist consultant in orthopaedics or neurology (confirming the ill effects of walking 100 metres) even though the cause of the walking disability might be neither orthopaedic nor neurological, the spokesperson added.
To be eligible for a FREEDOM PASS in many London boroughs, such as Hammersmith & Fulham, the only requirement is to be registered as a disabled person.
Lev, a local man with disabilities said: “I have a multitude of disabilities, none of which will, individually, entitle me to a FREEDOM PASS under Hackney’s savage new criteria. My medications make me nauseous and I have a bladder problem and need to urinate frequently. I qualify for Incapacity Benefit and survive on little more than £69 a week, which is quite tough in Inner London. Luckily, I get free therapy at a venue in south west London but need to travel there several times a week. I’ve developed an encyclopaedic knowledge of tube stations and bus stops near to toilets, where I can break my journey to vomit or pee (luckily I get plenty of advanced warning!).”
“When my FREEDOM PASS is withdrawn in March, I won’t be able to afford to break my journey anymore. Consequently, I’ll be forced to vomit or relieve myself on the bus or tube. That won’t be in the interest of fellow passengers, the travel companies, their staff or me. But what choice do I have? I can’t afford to buy several One-day passes a week on my income and I need to travel for my therapy,” added Lev.
The Director of Hackney’s Social Services is Mary Richardson. Formerly, she was head of Haringey’s Social Services.
Contacts:
Sanusie Sesay Disability Hackney – telephone 020 7923 1962
Kate Adams – Incapacity Action – telephone 01227 276159
Out of hours Press contact: John – telephone 020 7241 0333
Email:
hackneyfreedompass@lycos.com The “Save Hackney Disabled People’s FREEDOM PASS” campaign will be held on Monday, 18th February, at 6pm in Chats Palace, Chatsworth Road, E5.
The London-wide publicity campaign was launched by the Association of London Government on February 4, 2002, at the Salvador Dali Exhibition and the British Airways London Eye to encourage disabled people to take up the FREEDOM PASS. Free access to the exhibition and the London Eye was granted to Freedom Pass holders that morning. Invitations were sent out to London’s 33 councils.
John
e-mail:
hackneyfreedompass@lycos.com