Freedom pass fiasco

I’VE read John Gulliver’s comments about Camden’s absurdly bureaucratic procedure for renewing freedom passes and I agree with every word.
Camden’s peculiar system is running into trouble. So much so, in fact, that Camden Council is apparently willing to allow Camden pensioners to renew their freedom passes at local post offices after all (though I’m not sure that option has been made public).
Moreover, just today I tried to track the progress of my renewal application on the official website (www.freedompass.org) given in the official letter of November 13 2009 I’d received from Camden. When I typed in the unique reference number I was given, the website informed me that it could not be found.
I then rang a telephone number on the website, only to be told after considerable delay that (inexplicably) the website did not handle such unique reference numbers and for further information I’d have to get in touch with Camden directly.
What a mess Camden Council has got itself into by trying to change the perfectly good system of renewing freedom passes through post offices or libraries.
This mess will cause great distress to pensioners like me and waste a lot of money.
ROBERT ILSON
Antrim Mansions,
Antrim Road
NW3