Disabled traveller pass in south London could be phased out in cost-cutting plan

Disabled residents in south London face losing access to free transport across the capital as part of council cost cutting proposals.

Croydon Council intends to close the discretionary Disabled Persons Freedom Pass to new applicants.

It forms part of a wider bid to reduce expenditure on non-statutory services.

The local initiative provides free London travel to social care recipients who fail to qualify for the national statutory Freedom Pass, which grants eligible disabled people free transport across England.

To be eligible, residents must be aged 18 to 59 with a physical disability or severe mental illness, supported by either council social services or the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, and use the pass to help meet care plan objectives.

The decision to end the initiative forms part of cost-cutting measures detailed in the council’s Medium Term Financial Strategy for the next four years.

Croydon Town Hall is dealing with loan repayments after effectively going bankrupt

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It is expected to save the council £90,000 in 2028/29 and a further £50,000 in 2029/30.

The savings, which include planned cuts to the council tax support scheme, would contribute to a wider £83.7million four-year package aimed at stabilising the borough’s finances.

The proposals come as Croydon Council faces mounting debt via Exceptional Financial Support, which government-appointed commissioners have warned could reach £900m by 2030.

The exceptional financial support is offered to councils in England and Wales that have effectively gone bankrupt and cannot meet their financial obligations.

Ministers offer the local authorities loans to help fund services.

The council is also facing rising regional costs, including a required £1.35m annual

The proposed changes to the discretionary travel scheme and other non-statutory services are expected to take effect if the council’s budget is approved in February.

Council reports state that existing statutory passholders and disabled residents who meet the national eligibility criteria would be unaffected, with their current travel rights unchanged.

Despite this, disability rights advocates have warned that restricting access to free public transport could isolate vulnerable residents and limit their ability to reach essential health services.

Croydon’s opposition parties have also criticised the proposals.

Mark Adderley, a Croydon Green Party councillor, said: “I think it’s fair to say it’s utterly outrageous and once again demonstrates a total lack of humanistic or holistic thinking when it comes to the most needy in Croydon.

“What amounts to penny pinching (relative to the likely savings made) runs the very real risk of massively curtailing the quality of life for those Croydon adults already living with physical or mental health issues.

“Increased isolation amongst the more vulnerable sectors of society is already a huge cause for concern, this cut will potentially leave even more vulnerable adults feeling as though they have been completely forgotten by the system.”

The local authority maintains that difficult spending decisions are necessary to demonstrate financial discipline to commissioners overseeing the borough’s financial recovery.

The council’s budget report also states that many London boroughs have already phased out discretionary disabled travel concessions to focus on meeting statutory minimum requirements.

A spokesman for the council said: “Croydon’s current scheme is more generous than those offered by many other London boroughs, providing discretionary Disabled Persons Freedom Passes beyond the statutory requirements.

“Given the significant financial challenges facing the council, we have to make difficult decisions about what we can continue to afford. Bringing this provision into line with the approach taken by most other boroughs is therefore a reasonable step to consider as we work to secure the council’s long-term financial stability.”

They added: “Where residents may qualify for a mandatory Disabled Persons Freedom Pass, we would work closely with applicants and healthcare partners to support that transition, alongside offering advice on alternative Transport for London concessions.”

The council added that the plans remain at the draft consultation stage, with a final decision expected early next year.