Success for Mike Tuffrey’s campaign to help the unemployed

By Mark Pack | Wed 14th January 2009 - 10:12 pm

The Tory Troll blog brings the good news:

Fair’s fair Boris, you’ve made a good decision here:

“Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, today announced that over the next year London’s half-price bus and tram travel scheme will be extended to include thousands of unemployed Londoners in receipt of Job Seeker’s Allowance (JSA) or the new Employment and Support Allowance (ESA).”…

Lib Dem Assembly Leader Mike Tuffrey, who campaigned for the extension, said today:

“No one should be forced to turn down an interview because they can’t afford a bus fare. Yet Boris Johnson has put up fares this month by 11% – three times the rate of inflation. At present an unemployed person on JSA, with a weekly income of just £47, will end up paying £2 for a return trip to an interview. If they pay their fares in cash the fares will be £4.

“When you are on such a low income cheaper travel can make a world of difference to getting back to work.”

Read the full story here.

3 Comments

Ruth Bright 15th Jan '09 - 6:33pm

Well done, Mike.

I know a Lib Dem member in London who has been entitled to a freedom pass (she has been on incapacity benefit) but because of the drive to force people onto JSA she has felt pressurised to give up her free pass in order to prove she is not really disabled and therefore available for work!!!!!!!
Anonymous 15th Jan '09 - 8:32pm

Interesting, there’s another 100+ administrators to manage it. Also will this apply to those who don’t live in London?
Jay Entee 15th Jan '09 - 8:51pm

Well done Mike.

I thought JSA was £60.50 a week.

Worth checking with this govt even though I am currently in work.