Hello,

Apologies for yet more requests for help - you're all going to be sick of
me soon!

I note from the archives Taxi Public Transport Contributions were last
raised in July 2010. I wondered if anyone has any ideas on where I can go
with this specific query and if there has been any development on the
overall issue since then.


I have a student who lives with his family about five miles from
university. He has to catch a bus, then walk, another bus then another
walk which was causing him physical injury hence the taxi allowance
through DSA.

Unfortunately he bought a local student travel card at a cost of £300
before he was able to access his taxi allowance. He uses the pass outside
of university for short bus journeys locally as the pass is valid for all
journeys whereas taxis are only for "days he is on campus".

My student reports that he simply does not have the money this academic
year  to pay the public transport contribution for his taxis.  He has only
been making it into campus sporadically when he can beg lifts from friends
and family. He's missed several weeks of classes this semester already.

SFE say that despite having paid for a travel pass that my student must
pay the contribution, this will be charged to him when he uses his taxis
until he's paid the amount needed then SFE will take over payments.  The
student's taxis cost between £60 and £80 a week (£9-£10 per journey 3/4
days a week).

SFE say that the reason they cannot waive the contribution is that they
need to treat students equally but do not specify who my student should be
treated equally to - another disabled student?  An able bodied student?

SFE also suggested he applied for funding elsewhere (to cover their
unfairness and shortfall?) which I also think is unfair and "passing the
issue off to someone else". It shouldn't be about hardship or not hardship
it's about what is right or wrong - DSA is (not yet) means tested
therefore students should not be put in a position where they have to have
upfront money paid out before they can access their support.

My argument against this charge to SFE is that
1) A disabled student is in effect being required to pay for public
transport twice if evidence of a travel pass is not accepted in lieu of
the public transport contribution.  If taxis were usable like public
transport this 'might' be reasonable but a taxi only covers some of a
student's likely travel needs.  An able bodied person would not *need*
taxis so wouldn't need to pay for a travel pass AND SFE contribution
costs.

2) Requiring the student to pay the contribution at all is in effect
requiring the student pay out before they are able to access a reasonable
adjustment provided for the purpose of overcoming their disability.  And
possibly something not permitted by the Equality Act 2010.
(http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/pdfs/ukpga_20100015_en.pdf
Page 11)

I managed to get the the public transport contribution waived for another
DSA taxi using student whose accommodation is currently within "a non
disabled student's reasonable walking distance" and "there is no existing
public transport which serves this route" so there are definitely reasons
exemptions can be applied.

I wonder what would happen if my student was compared to an able bodied
student who chose to and more crucially was able to; cycle to and from
university at a cost of £0? 5 miles there and back a day is easy commuter
distance.  Who determines what the public transport contribution is and
what it's meant to be equivalent to?

Has anyone got any ideas on where I can take this?

Many thanks as ever (and I will report back anonymised summary of replies
and the outcome of this)

Natalya