Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s decision not to issue a companion travel pass. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault by the Council.

The complaint

1. The complainant, Mr X, complains the Council will not give him a companion travel pass. Mr X is a carer for someone who has a disabled person’s travel pass. Mr X wants the Council to give him a companion pass.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. We investigate complaints about ‘maladministration’ and ‘service failure’, which we call ‘fault’. We must also consider whether any fault has had an adverse impact on the person making the complaint, which we call ‘injustice’. We provide a free service, but must use public money carefully. We do not start an investigation if we decide there is not enough evidence of fault to justify investigating. (Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended, section 34(B))

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How I considered this complaint

3. I considered information provided by Mr X and the Council. This includes the complaint correspondence. I also considered information about concessionary travel schemes and our Assessment Code.

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My assessment

4. Mr X is a carer for Mr Y who has a disabled person’s travel pass. Mr X has to travel with Mr Y and the cost puts a financial strain on Mr X. Mr X used to have a companion pass which was issued by a different council when Mr X lived outside London.
5. Mr X applied to Haringey Council for a companion pass. The Council explained it does not offer companion passes. The Council said it cannot make an exception for Mr X and the complaints process cannot change council policy.
6. I will not investigate this complaint because there is insufficient evidence of fault by the Council. The law requires councils to offer concessionary travel to people who are defined by the legislation as elderly or disabled. The law gives councils outside Greater London discretionary powers to offer passes to other people. This means some councils outside London offer companion passes although no council is required to offer them.
7. Haringey Council must offer passes to people on the basis of age and disability and it meets this requirement. It does not offer companion passes and is not required to do so. The Council cannot give Mr X a companion pass because it does not provide them.
8. Mr X has explained why he needs a pass and I am sure he found the previous pass very helpful. However, we cannot ask the Council to provide a pass it does not offer and we have no power to tell the Council to change its policy or to start offering companion passes. This is an issue Mr X could perhaps raise with his local councillors, Transport for London, or the Mayor of London.

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Final decision

9. We will not investigate this complaint because there is insufficient evidence of fault by the Council.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman