MP Vincent Cable & Councillor James Mumford speak for the disabled

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Fri 4th Oct 2002

MP Vincent Cable said that the council was "scandalously mishandling" the issue of freedom passes for the disabled.

He alleged that:

*approximately 200 disabled people have been deprived of freedom passes as a result of applying the criteria more severely and without the flexibility which government regulations allow;

*a review promised earlier this year - in January - of the criteria for freedom passes has been endlessly postponed and has not yet been carried out.

*the council has a large underspent balance of funding (around £300,000) as a result of money given last financial year from central government (via the Association of London Government) but it has not been spent, as it should have been, on the disabled.

Vincent Cable said: "there are many disabled people in the borough who have been deprived of freedom passes because they are not disabled enough."

"However the most seriously disabled - at the top rate of Disability Living Allowance - are unlikely to use public transport anyway. It should not be a money issue since the council has been given the money."

"What is lacking is a bit of flexibility in applying the criteria as government regulations allow. There must be mounting suspicions that the council is trying to siphon money from the disabled to some other case".

Cllr James Mumford, Liberal Democrat Chair of Social Services Scrutiny Committee, commented: 'Action must be taken to reverse this injustice - people with disabilities are being left effectively housebound because they are seen as less likely to complain.

The appeal process does not appear to have been explained properly, and it is simply wrong to apply quotas and rationing where a lifeline for vulnerable individuals is at stake.

My main fear is that the Tories will squander the money on gimmicks like the proposal for half an hour free parking. I urge people not to give up hope and come forward if they have lost out on their Freedom Pass'.

[Cllr Mumford can be contacted on 07814 010877]