Should Mental Health Sufferer's be given a bus pass?

[t0rt01se36]

I have a friend who is a Schizophrenic. He goes out in to the Community every day.

I would like your views on if you feel Mental Health sufferer's deserve to have a disabled bus pass, or not?

My friend has found out that his bus pass won't be renewed, because his illness doesn't fit in to the concessionery bus pass rules.

I only just scraped through, to have my bus pass renewed, but from next year, I don't know if I'll be able to renew my bus pass or not.

I told my friend to keep fighting his case. Just cos of what the council have said, doesn't mean he should give up, I said. I told him about an organisation that might help him.

[MyNameIsTerry]

I think the question I have is whether this mental illness is preventing the person from obtaining work in order to pay for one. If their illness prevents them from working, then I would say yes.

[t0rt01se36]

My friend isn't in paid work. He is sometimes a Volunteer.

[LucyR]

Why do you get a free bus pass??

[t0rt01se36]

I have a Health Condition which leaves me with weak bones, so I often get discomfort in my legs, and that's aswell as my Mental Health issues.

[Magic]

I have a bus pass as I am OAP. If I did not have a pass then I would not go out like I do. I thought you could only get a bus pass for physically disabled or wheel chair users.
I have heard from somewhere that they are stopping the buss passes in the future.
Don't know if this is true though.
I don't know if your friend is eligible Tort. it is up to the council I suppose.

[LucyR]

Ok that will be why I did not get one then as thats what they told me you have to have a physical disability. I also think you can get it for mental health issues if you are seeing a psychiatrist regularly and otherwise would have to pay out to do so?

[MyNameIsTerry]

I think it also depends on the mental heatlh condition e.g. birth related, conditions that cannot be cured, etc. These might fall under physical disability though I guess, I don't know much about it to be honest.

Maybe its a question of how the lack of a free bus pass will impact on your friends condition? I wonder if in showing it would worsen, they would grant it?

Magic - I think they try to pull the OAP bus passes every year but as soon as it gets into the media it tends to attract a lot of campaign groups, charities and bad press and they ditch the idea. Its a local council thing though isn't it? I know in my city there are some active grey power groups who go to town on the local council when they try to cut their services making them look a bit silly over all the other ways they could cut back.