People with epilepsy left ‘stranded and out of pocket’ due to rules around discounted travel passes

People with epilepsy in Northern Ireland are being left “stranded and out of pocket” due to rules around discounted travel passes, a charity has warned.

Epilepsy Action NI is calling for changes to improve access to discounted public travel in the north. It says that the current SmartPass scheme rules are “unnecessary and costly” for people living with the condition.

Northern Ireland has the highest epilepsy prevalence in the UK, with more than 23,000 people living with the condition.

Many people with epilepsy are not able to drive and rely heavily on public transport.

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The government-run SmartPass scheme offers half-fare travel for individuals who qualify under specific criteria, including those who have been refused or had a driving licence revoked due to medical reasons such as epilepsy.

However, under the current criteria, people with epilepsy must have had their driving licence refused or revoked for at least 12 months, or been refused a provisional licence to be able to qualify.

Epilepsy Action NI said people should not have to go through this process to access a benefit that could massively help some of the challenges they face on a daily basis due to their condition.

The charity is calling on the Department for Infrastructure (DfI) to make “practical and actionable changes to the system”.

Ciaran McCarroll (41) from Ballymena relies on public transport to get to work. He said he believes people who cannot drive due to a medical condition have to jump through hoops to access discounted travel.

He said he had been told he has to apply for a provisional licence again, at a cost of £30, to “have it refused before I qualify”.

“It’s just ludicrous,” he said.

“It seems daft to apply for something you don’t need.

“Some sort of clinical letter should suffice i.e. this person has epilepsy and cannot drive”, he added.

Epilepsy Action Northern Ireland is calling on DfI to make changes to the system, which applies regardless of whether you have uncontrolled seizures or have been living seizure-free for many years.

Carla Smyth from the charity said: “The current process is unnecessarily time-consuming and means so many people with epilepsy are being left out.

“It should be their right to have access to discounted public transport without having to spend time and money applying for a driving licence and getting it rejected.

“What we are asking for are simple changes that could have a massive impact on the day-to-day lives of people with epilepsy in Northern Ireland.

“We’re hoping the Department for Infrastructure will listen to our calls and discuss with us what they can do to remove these unnecessary barriers.”

A DfI spokesperson said: “Under the NI Concessionary Fares Scheme, a half fare concession is available for people who have had a driving licence refused or revoked on medical grounds.

“Following a recent public consultation on changes to eligibility for the scheme, some stakeholders took the opportunity to raise wider issues with the current application processes.

“The minister is currently considering the outcome of the public consultation and his decision will be confirmed as soon as possible.”