Following an ombudsman investigation, the London Borough of Newham will review more than 200 applications for freedom passes it rejected.
After receiving a complaint from a disabled Newham resident whose application was rejected, the local government and social care ombudsman (LGSCO) uncovered ‘flaws’ in how the council considered applications for the concessionary travel passes.
The ombudsman found that the council did not have a specific policy for making decisions on freedom pass applications and did not follow guidance when carrying out assessments.
The London borough agreed to produce a new policy in line with Department for Transport guidance. It will use the new policy to review the 238 freedom pass applications it refused in the 2022-23 financial year.
Ombudsman Paul Najsarek said: ‘We expect councils to follow guidance unless they have a valid reason not to. In this case, the council’s assessment process lacked transparency and officers did not consider whether it was necessary to offer the man an independent medical assessment before deciding his application.
‘We also found the council did not deal with the man’s application or appeal in a timely fashion.
‘I am pleased the council quickly accepted fault in this case, and has agreed to revisit the cases of other people who may have been affected by its lack of proper policy. By putting a new policy in place, the council should prevent this situation happening to other people.’
