ELDERLY and disabled passengers are losing vital bus services because of cuts in government funding, councils in England are warning.
The Local Government Association (LGA) says support for the concessionary fares scheme has been reduced by over a third since 2010.
Under the scheme, councils have to provide free off-peak travel for those aged over 62 or disabled.
The government says it provides funding to meet subsidised travel costs.
Local authorities say the funding from central government for concessionary fares has been cut by £261m since the coalition came to power.
Now councils say they are forced to subsidise the scheme, often by cutting back on other local transport services.
• YMCA England has serious concerns about the increase in the number of sanctions being issued against youth unemployed, as revealed in the figures released by the Department for Work and Pensions.
Over 45,000 young people have been wrongly suspended since the new rules were introduced two years ago.
Those affected have been incorrectly suspended by JobCentre Plus offices for between a month and three years. More than four-fifths of them reported that the suspension forced them to go without essential items, the report said.
In addition, a vast majority of those affected were forced to turn to food banks.
Responding to the release of the sanction statistics, Denise Hatton, Chief Executive, YMCA England says: ‘The figures give a worrying indication of the “sanction first, think later” approach currently being taken by Jobcentre Plus, as well as a complete lack of regard for the impact of removing benefits.
‘Rather than motivating vulnerable young people to find employment, receiving a sanction can hinder their ability to prepare and look for work, making the prospect of them getting off benefits a more distant reality.
‘Given that over a quarter of a million sanctions have been issued to young people since October 2012, it is of critical importance that the current review being led by Matthew Oakley examines closely how these are being managed by JobCentre Plus and its impact on individuals.’
Hatton added: ‘The level of incorrect decisions being made by Jobcentre Plus is frankly scandalous. Benefits are supposed to be a lifeline and safety net for those most in need. When these benefits are taken away, it can be disastrous. When this is done without due cause, it is reprehensible.
‘It is no surprise that the young people we support feel that the job centre is simply a place they have to go to be processed and punished,’ Hatton said.
Furthermore, the report said that the Department for Work and Pensions has received a number of claims that staff at JobCentre Plus offices are given weekly or monthly targets for the number of benefit sanction decisions to take.
