No ‘race against time’ with issuing the freedom passes

Published: 4 February 2010

• YOUR article (Big problem council can’t pass on, January 28) is not only misleading but is also likely to have caused unnecessary concern.
The council is not “facing a race against time” to process residents’ freedom passes before March 31.
We are already way ahead of many boroughs, having processed 21,000 freedom passes so far – not the 8,000 you claim. This represents 85 per cent of the total we expect to issue this year and we continue to be able to process most applications within five days.
You also state, inaccurately, that the council decided that the Post Office would no longer process freedom pass applications. Legislation now requires that passes have a photo and smartcard, and London Councils, who run the freedom pass scheme in London, decided that the new photo-pass would be processed by a government-accredited bureau. Across London residents are having to queue up in post offices to request a form, take it away to fill in, attach their photo and proof of residence, and return to the post office again to hand in the form. The form is sent for processing and posted back to the pass-holder. Post offices can no longer issue passes in any London borough. Following feedback from mobility forums Camden decided to help residents by making the whole process simpler and more efficient. By managing the application process ourselves we are able to send pass-holders the renewal form, check their completed applications, send them to the bureau for processing, and then send the new freedom passes to the pass-holder. This means that pass-holders only have to sign the form and return it with the necessary documents. We are confident we have been successful and saved many residents time and energy.
Cllr Martin Davies
Executive Member Adult Social Care and Health

How long to wait?

• A WEEK after my 60th birthday event I am still without a freedom pass.
I had been misled into believing that I should apply at the post office on the big day. But it appeared Camden Council had other ideas. How many more weeks must I wait? Had I known I could have applied months ago.
 All is not lost, another 60th birthday landmark has arrived – bowel cancer screening!
Dorothy MacDonald,
NW3