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What is the voucher scheme?
Up to £108 per year (from 1st April each year) to help with travel costs if you are Disabled or Elderly and reside in a remote area.
Babergh District Council recognises that there is a number of people who cannot access the benefit of free travel on conventional bus services as other residents who qualify for and use a bus pass. This could either be for reasons of severe disability or the fact that due to their home location, such services are unavailable to them.
The Council therefore offers a benefit to those persons in the form of Vouchers that can be used towards their use of community transport, taxis or private hire. The value of the Vouchers issued is £108. Voucher Scheme members cannot also hold a National Free Travel Bus Pass.
For a full list of operators who accept Vouchers ring 01473 826622 or click on the link below:-
Downloadable full list of operators who accept travel vouchers (PDF, 40Kb)
Do you qualify for the voucher scheme?
For disability qualification :
Anyone with a disability/blindness or injury which has a substantial and long-term effect on their ability to walk. This being of such severity that you are unable to use conventional public transport services at any time (whether or not those services are available). Persons applying must provide details of the reason or reasons that you are unable to use conventional public transport and have their application form endorsed by someone who is professionally qualified e.g. doctor/community nurse or involved in your treatment or care.
For remoteness qualification :
For people who would qualify for a National Free Travel Bus Pass but are unable to use a pass as there are insufficient bus services to and from the parish they live in with no more than 3 return bus services per week to a town with shops and other services (e.g. healthcare, banking, etc.).
To qualify for Vouchers in the remoteness category, applicants would:-
Live in a parish with less than 3 return bus services to a town and be aged 60 years or over who have been a permanent resident at their current address for at least 5 years as of the date of application
or
- Eligible Disabled or Blind person of any age.
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How to do you apply for vouchers?
In order to apply for membership of the Voucher Scheme, you must complete an application form, downloadable here:
Completed applications to be returned with a passport-sized photograph* to:
Babergh District Council
Corks Lane
Hadleigh
Ipswich
IP7 6SJ
* Please note your photograph can be taken free of charge at the Babergh offices(address as above) or Sudbury Advice Centre, Town Hall, Market Hill, Sudbury, CO10 1TL Monday to Thursday 9am-5pm, Friday 9am-4.30pm.
Membership of the scheme is at the discretion of the Council.
What vouchers do you get?
You will receive a booklet of Vouchers, which can be used to pay for your journey by community transport, taxi or private hire vehicle with a list of companies who have registered for the scheme and will accept the Vouchers. Vouchers will be valid from 1st April each year for a period of 12 months. If you join part-way through the year, you will be given a pro-rata reduced number of vouchers. Unfortunately, the Vouchers cannot be used after the expiry date. Once you have joined the Scheme, the Council will contact you each February to see if you want to continue and arrange for further Vouchers to be sent.
How do you use the vouchers?
For details of currently registered operators in your area who will take bookings for journeys and accept vouchers, who you will need to book journeys, click on the link below:
Downloadable full list of operators who accept travel vouchers (PDF, 40Kb).
When you book your journey, check that the driver is registered with the Scheme and will accept the Vouchers. Your Vouchers will be in small denominations (£2) and stapled into a booklet. The cover of the booklet will be personalised to you with your name and photo. It will also have an ID number that will be repeated on each of the Vouchers. Vouchers are not transferable to another person.
You can use Vouchers at their face value to pay some or all the cost of a journey, provided you do not use more than £20 for one journey. The driver will not be expected to give you change, so make sure you use them only as part payment for a journey.
When you give the driver your Voucher(s), you must also show the booklet cover to the driver. This will show the driver that you are the authorised holder of the Vouchers. Vouchers are only valid for journeys that start or finish within the County of Suffolk and CANNOT be used on conventional transport such as buses and trains.
If I can't use all the Vouchers before they expire?
Unfortunately, the Vouchers cannot be used after the expiry date. Once you have joined the Scheme, the Council will contact you each February to see if you want to continue and arrange for further Vouchers to be sent.
What if you lose your vouchers?
You must notify the Council immediately so that they can be cancelled in our records. Replacement Vouchers will not normally be issued, but at the Council’s discretion, replacements may be issued if the loss was beyond your control (e.g. theft, fire, flood damage etc.)
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