Trying to get a disabled persons bus pass

Hello. I am autistic and just applied for one a few weeks ago with mersey (read: misery)travel

I got knocked back at 16 when I first applied because apparently I could "count money and walk" in the independent assessment and they told me to never apply again and that I can't appeal.

so I applied abar 4 weeks ago and literally sent off my PIP letter with an instruction to ring up my GP since social services says it's not their job to supply a support plan as evidence for a bus pass application. however miserytravel have managed to get off their backsides and do something good for a change as to my surprise, they gave me a disabled person's bus pass the other day through the post! (FINALLY!!!!!)

also not related but weston-super-mare is a really nice town, I've been there on holiday :)

Yes I agree having trouble with this myself, has anything been done yet would like to help. x

Considering that I'm the person that people go to when they want assistance with public transport, there's no way that I'd get one... nor would I want to, personally.

I'm in Glasgow: just managed to get one because Autism comes under Mental Health and they argue that we may need to travel to appointments (it costs me over £4 round trip by bus to the Adult Autism Centre).

That's not right, there is nothing in the regs about if you drive you can't get one.

If you are medically stopped from driving by DVLA, then you can  automatically get a bus pass.

The base line criteria which all local authorities have to use is that you can automatically get a Disabled Person's bus pass if you score 8 points on the MOVING around criteria on PiP or get high mobility DLA.

If you score mobility points on PLANNING a journey then you won't automatically qualify. Some LAs are more generous and have a wider definition.  It's a postcode lottery.

Come on NAS another campaign required to get MPs to change the regs!

Sorry but if you are driving then you not eligable for a bus pass.

I have just been looking at the guidance notes to the disability section in the Transport Act to which the local authorities place so much store.

It says, if you have a PIP with 8 points (whatever 8 points mean but you may know more about this than me) you should be considered to have an automatic right.

Also the distinguishing of Autism and other conditions is not, as far as I can see, part of the guidance in the act at all.  This seems to be just someone's interpretation.  Indeed, the guidance even states that neurological conditions may be considered to be eligible.

The Guidance notes to the act are here:

Department of Transport Guidance to disabilty eligibility for transport

I would also consider making representations to your MP, they are usually very good at getting letters to the right people and they should be made aware of the difficulties we face.  They are, after all, the ones who make the laws.

Hi Katmatt

I've not got a disabled bus pass but I just did a bit of research on the internet.

I live in Staffordshire which give the following information:

Staffordshire eligibility for learning conditions

I also looked for what conditions you shouldn't drive. 

It seems to me that with so many other things in life, the 'headline' of all these benefits and concessions does not represent the reality.  Governments put out ideas that they are helping people and then create rules to make as few eligible as possible.  That linked to different interpretations of the rules makes for a whole load of different treatment depending on where you live, and as the local authority seem to pick up the tab they will often try to get out of their responsibilities by interpreting the rules liberally or otherwise according to how much money they have.

The gist of Staffordshire's interpretation is that Aspergers or Autism do not count unless they are so severe they deprive you of your driving licence - even though the DVLA website says you should not drive if your condition is severe enough to prevent you being safe.  ASD is not an 'automatic' exclusion from driving.  And by the same token it does not seem to be an automatic right to a bus pass either.

I think what is expecially wrong is the assumption that if you have an ASD you might be ok intellectually and therefore you won't be eligible  This despite the fact that those with ASD can have severe difficulties in some areas.

The West Midlands policy on diabled bus passes is here:

West Midlands criteria for disabled bus pass

The West Midlands Guidance Notes are here:

West Midlands Guidance Notes

Some of this seems to conflict with the Governments Autism Strategy, espeically their differentiation between a learning disability and a developmental disability, of which the developmental disability can lead to just as profound problems.

This seems to be a lot more complicated and full of language not easy to undestand.  Being unable to explain where you want to go on the bus is clealy a disability under the criteria so you might want to emphasise this and the difficulty you have with money (and the fact that it annoys other passengers that their journey is being delayed by you having to spend time sorting your money out for the journey). 

My advice would be to ignore the advice you had on the phone and fill in a form or ask for an interview where you can be accompanied by someone else who will have to answer the questions on your behalf as you don't have the necessary skills to answer them and it makes you very anxious.

All in all the whole process seems geared towards putting people off from applying rather than helping those in need.

.