For eligible disabled people and people who live in
remote areas of Forest Heath
What is the Travel Voucher Scheme?
Travel vouchers have been introduced to provide help for those
people who have severe mobility impairment and therefore cannot use
conventional public transport services due to their disability or
because they live in a remote location where the bus service is
limited. Travel Vouchers are intended for people who have
restricted access to public transport and are therefore unable to
make use of such services. Therefore eligible persons issued with
travel vouchers will not be entitled to a bus pass as well.
Do I qualify for Travel Vouchers?
You may qualify for Travel Vouchers if you have one of the
following:
- Limited ability to walk
- Blind (but unlikely to qualify if partially sighted)
- Profoundly or severely deaf and without speech
-
Learning disability
Follow the link to download a copy of the
Application form for travel vouchers
.
Remoteness
Applicants must be
- Aged 60 years or over
- A permanent resident of Forest Heath for at least five years at
their present address at the date of application
- Live in a location with a bus service of no more than three
return bus journeys per week to a town with shops and other
services such as health and banking.
Follow the link to download a copy of the
Application form for travel vouchers for
remote locations .
How do Travel Vouchers work?
A person who qualifies for Travel Vouchers will be issued with an
ID card and a set amount of vouchers per year. This currently
stands at £80 worth of vouchers. The voucher scheme year runs from
the 1 April until 31 March, and applicants can apply at anytime
throughout the year. Vouchers will be issued on a pro-rata basis
according to the date the application is received.
1 April – 30
June Applicants
will receive £80 worth of vouchers
1 July - 30
September Applicants
will receive £60 worth of vouchers
1 October – 31
December Applicants
will receive £40 worth of vouchers
1 January - 31
March
Applicants will receive £20 worth of vouchers
The vouchers are only valid with a corresponding ID card and are
nontransferable.
An up to date passport photograph must be supplied with the
application for the ID card.
A maximum of £20 worth of vouchers can be used in any one trip
and are only valid for journeys that start or finish within the
County of Suffolk.
Any vouchers that have not been used within the year they were
issued become invalid as of 31 March and cannot be exchanged for
additional vouchers for the following year.
Travel vouchers can only be used on taxis and private hire
vehicles that are participating in the scheme.
How do I apply?
An application form is available from any of the Forest Heath
District Council Offices at:
District Offices, College Heath Road, Mildenhall
The Guineas Centre, Newmarket
Elbourne House, High Street, Brandon.
Opening times are:
Mildenhall 8.30am until 4.30pm Monday – Thursday
8.30am until 4pm - Friday
Newmarket 9am until 2pm Monday – Friday
Brandon 9am until 2pm Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and
Friday.
Forms should be returned with a passport size photograph
to:
Forest Heath District Council
District Offices
College Heath Road
Mildenhall
Suffolk IP28 7EY
How do I use the Vouchers?
You will receive your vouchers together with a photo ID card. The
vouchers can be used to pay for your journey by taxi or private
hire vehicle provided the operator is registered with the scheme.
Details of all registered operators will be available from Forest
Heath District Council on 01638 719000.
Your vouchers will be issued in denominations of £2.00 each and
are non- transferable. More than one voucher may be used up to a
maximum of £20 for any one journey. Operators are not obliged to
give change where the value of the voucher exceeds the cost of the
fare. Always check when booking your taxi that the operator is a
registered member of the scheme and always show your ID card when
offering the vouchers for payment,
Vouchers are only valid for journeys that start or end in
Suffolk and cannot be used on other transport such as buses or
trains.
What happens if I run out of vouchers, or have vouchers left at the
end of the year?
The council can only issue vouchers to the maximum value of £80 per
year and pro-rata to that through the year.
Any unused vouchers become invalid at the end of March and can
no longer be used.
For further information about the Concessionary Travel Voucher
scheme please call Customer Services - Tel: 01638
719000 or email:
customer.services@forest-heath.gov.uk