Public Services Card and Free Travel pass removal

lovelymarie

Just to let you know that when you apply for a public services card they are using this opportunity to review your eligibility for a free travel pass. We were granted a pass in 2007 and we assumed that this was a permanent thing. Since then we are not on all of the same benefits as we were so as a consequence when a public services card was applied for it was returned without the free travel part. When we enquired as to why we were told that we were not eligible. When we complained that we should have been made aware that the eligibility would be reviewed upon application of the ps card we were told that we had been using the paper travel pass for years without being eligible. We had never been reviewed. We had never received any correspondence to say that we were no longer eligible. There was never any communication to us to say this.
Simple truth if you are in any way uncertain as to your current travel pass eligibility then do not apply for a public service card. (Along the way we had telephone calls with public servants who said such things to us as "Well you must have improved from your disability if you are no longer on that benefit" - strange that as I would have thought that it was the opinion of the consultants and the doctors which would count)

EverythingGood

I don't understand, something you aren't entitled to was removed. Why should you get to keep it? The cost to the state has been saved.

wifey28

So your complaining that something you are no longer entitled to was taken away? When you ar granted a pass you are clearly told that if your circumstances change you may lose your entitlement, same with any form of social welfare

endofrainbow

Are you not obliged to inform the relevant departments if your circumstances change?

Be thankful they are not trying to reclaim against you for using a travel pass when you were not entitled to it.

StackSteevens

lovelymarie wrote: »

Just to let you know that when you apply for a public services card they are using this opportunity to review your eligibility for a free travel pass. We were granted a pass in 2007 and we assumed that this was a permanent thing. Since then we are not on all of the same benefits as we were so as a consequence when a public services card was applied for it was returned without the free travel part. When we enquired as to why we were told that we were not eligible. When we complained that we should have been made aware that the eligibility would be reviewed upon application of the ps card we were told that we had been using the paper travel pass for years without being eligible. We had never been reviewed. We had never received any correspondence to say that we were no longer eligible. There was never any communication to us to say this.
Simple truth if you are in any way uncertain as to your current travel pass eligibility then do not apply for a public service card. (Along the way we had telephone calls with public servants who said such things to us as "Well you must have improved from your disability if you are no longer on that benefit" - strange that as I would have thought that it was the opinion of the consultants and the doctors which would count)

You're quite right. The Department should have withdrawn your free travel privileges immediately after you were no longer entitled to them and you deserve a public apology from it for its failure to do so - as well as substantial damages too. You were clearly discriminated against by being forced to use a free travel pass against your will. I can think of no greater outrage than that. I urge you to instruct your solicitor to write a stiff letter to the Minister demanding a public apology and substantial compensation.

If you don't get satisfaction, then the next stop is the Ombudsman.

punisher5112

The biggest scam going them paper ones.

Its still ridiculous that they accept them still and with covid they accept out of date new style.

I don't see how you can complain op,you have been getting away with free travel and shouldn't have been.

KiraNerys

*Simple truth if you are in any way uncertain as to your current travel pass eligibility then do not apply for a public service card*

You mean "if you are fraudulently using a travel pass that you are not entitled to, you may get caught doing so on applying for a public services card"