Disabled man 'angry and upset' at carer bus pass cuts

Cutting free bus travel for disabled peoples' carers in Hampshire would target the most vulnerable users who are "least able to pay more", campaigners have warned.

One man with a learning disability said he felt the decision would take away his independence and chance of getting a job in the future.

The move is part of wider reforms to disabled people's bus passes in the county, and is expected to save Hampshire County Council £3,000 per year.

The council said: "While some savings in isolation may seem relatively small, the county council's budget position requires that all areas of expenditure are looked at."

Last week, a petition that was hand-delivered by campaigners in a last-ditch attempt to get a U-turn on the decision was rejected by the council.

The new rules will affect buses leaving from Hampshire, excluding Southampton and Portsmouth, which are managed by city councils.

David Bailey, 40, from Blackfield in Hampshire, has a genetic condition that results in a learning disability.

He can make some journeys alone, but said unfamiliar routes can be confusing and trigger anxiety.

David said being able to travel to new places helps build his confidence and lets him learn new skills.

But to do that, he needs someone with him for support.

"It would be very hard for me to go into a job interview and explain myself, but if I had a companion with me, they could act it out to me how I should be doing it," he said.

"This bus pass means everything to me - people like me should have the same chances everyone else has."

David is a member of Action Together, a campaign group made up of people with learning disabilities.

Julian Lewis, MP for New Forest East, met with them and said he hoped the council would "look at the issue again and think more carefully about it".

"It really does seem to be a terrible impact for the saving of a tiny sum of money," he said.

"It's rather pointless, them having a pass to go on the bus, if they can't take the person with them who enables them to travel."

Emily Strickland is from learning disability charity New Forest Mencap.

She runs workshops for David and his friends to help them gain life skills and become more independent.

"These people are the most vulnerable users on the disability bus pass," she said. "And they're the least able to pay extra.

"It's not the kind of money that people who don't have an income can just find."

Emily said that another service user at Mencap described losing the pass as feeling like they were being thrust back into lockdown, while the world goes on around them.

David said he was worried for what the future held for him and his friends - some of whom require carers at all times.

"I'm really angry and upset," said David. "We're being kicked to the curb left, right and centre."

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