Concessionary travel legislation gives local authorities the flexibility to offer discretionary local travel concessions, such as free travel to jobseekers.<\/p>
The Jobcentre Plus offers a range of transport support for people seeking employment, including access to a Flexible Support Fund and a discount Travel Card.<\/p>
<\/p>
It is also encouraging to see operator-led initiatives, such as Stagecoach\u2019s \u2018Back on Board\u2019 scheme, which offers jobseekers half price single and return tickets.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4460", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Ms Nusrat Ghani"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Wealden"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Ms Nusrat Ghani"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2018-11-19", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2018-11-19T11:22:19.73Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "27"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Transport"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Transport"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2018-11-14", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Bus Services: Concessions"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he plans to extend free bus travel to people in receipt of (a) employment and support allowance, (b) universal credit and (c) jobseeker's allowance.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/150", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Ms Harriet Harman"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Camberwell and Peckham"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Ms Harriet Harman"} ], "uin" : "191249"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1001909", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Transport"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1001909/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
Funding to local authorities for concessionary travel is not provided in isolation, but as part of their Local Government Finance Settlement. This Formula Grant funding is not ring-fenced, which enables authorities to make spending decisions that more closely match local needs and circumstances.<\/p>
<\/p>
Eligibility for the statutory concession on medical grounds is assessed by local authorities on a case by case basis, using the seven criteria set down in legislation and supported by the Department\u2019s published guidance.<\/p>
Local authorities also have the powers to offer concessions over and above the statutory minimum, for instance by extending the concession to residents who may not qualify under the statutory criteria.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4460", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Ms Nusrat Ghani"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Wealden"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Ms Nusrat Ghani"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2018-11-13", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2018-11-13T14:39:39.24Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "27"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Transport"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Transport"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2018-11-05", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Bus Services: Concessions"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what research his Department has undertaken on the effect of recent reductions to funding for concessionary bus passes on adults with (a) learning difficulties and (b) autism.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4433", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Thangam Debbonaire"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Bristol West"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Thangam Debbonaire"} ], "uin" : "188110"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/972358", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Education"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/972358/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
Local authorities in England have a statutory duty to provide free home to school transport for all eligible pupils. It is for local authorities to decide how to fulfil that duty. They may, if they wish, provide pupils with bus passes, but timescales are not mandated by the government.<\/p>
<\/p>
Eligibility for the statutory scheme is the same in all local authorities throughout England and is currently rising for men and women in line with the equalisation of the retirement age for both at sixty-five.<\/p> <\/p> However, Local Authorities have powers to implement discretionary enhancements to the statutory concession, including offering a concession to older people below the eligible pension age.<\/p> <\/p> The Department\u2019s annual concessionary travel survey monitors the availability of such discretionary concessions, and the most recent dataset can be found on the Department\u2019s statistics page on the GOV.UK website at:<\/p>
<\/strong><\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/111", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Nick Gibb"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Bognor Regis and Littlehampton"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Nick Gibb"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2018-10-11", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2018-10-11T09:13:43.557Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "60"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Education"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Education"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2018-09-12", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Bus Services: Concessions"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the timescale is for the introduction of student bus passes in the academic year 2018-19.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1597", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for David Simpson"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Upper Bann"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "David Simpson"}
], "uin" : "174026"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/926563", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Transport"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/926563/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "