Travel Concessions

Travel Concessions have put their noses above the parapet again. The Secretary for War Pensions informs me that they have been enhanced. Eligibility for this benefit is as listed below:-

P23L

A veteran qualifies for this concession if the veteran:

• Is in receipt of a 100% permanent War Disablement Pension; or
• Has been in receipt of a 100% temporary War Disablement Pension for the last three years

P23LA

A veteran qualifies for this concession if the veteran:

• Is in receipt of a 100% permanent War Disablement Pension; or
• Has been in receipt of a 100% temporary War Disablement Pension for the last three years; and
  - Is totally blind; or
  - has had both legs amputated above the knee; or
  - receives all or part of the War Disablement Pension   because of amputation of all or part of a limb; or
  - is otherwise unfit to travel alone (verified by a medical   certificate).

H113

A veteran qualifies for this concession if the veteran:

• is in receipt of a permanent War Disablement Pension; and
• is paid that pension at a rate of at least 50% in respect of a disability that impedes locomotion.

You will be pleased to read that if you are an amputee you may now claim the cost of taking your private vehicle on the Inter-Island Ferry irrespective of whether you have a P23L, P23lA or H113 travel concession.

The concessions remain tied to the Intercity Coach and TranzRail services and eligible War Disablement Pensioners can only be reimbursed from the nearest coach stop or train station at either end of the journey when using those services. Fine if you live near the coach stop or train station and your destination is not too far from those service at the far end of your journey, and you are able physically to use these services. Remember also that you must negotiate the best discount price for your ticket, and then claim the concession of this reduced amount.

If you wish to use your private vehicle within one of the new "Metropolitan/Regional" areas as laid out by the Secretary for War Pensions then you will be out of luck, you will not receive any reimbursement of your travel costs. Admittedly the regional areas have reduced in size with this last enhancement. The Metropolitan/Regional areas are as follows;-

NORTH ISLAND

Northland Districts: Far North, Whangarei, and Kaipara.

Auckland Districts: Rodney, North Shore, Waitakere, Auckland, Manakau, Papakura to Pukekohe and Franklin.

Waikato Districts: Thames - Coromandel, Hauraki, Waikato, Matamata-Piako, Hamilton, South Waikato, Otorohanga and Waitomo.

Bay of Plenty Districts: Tauranga, Western Bay of Plenty, Kawerau, Rotorua, Whakatane and Opotiki.

Central Plateau Districts: Taupo and Ruapehu.

Taranaki Districts: New Plymouth, Stratford and South Taranaki.

Hawke's Bay Districts: Wairoa, Hastings, Napier and Central Hawke's Bay.

Wanganui Districts: Manawatu, Palmerston North, Horowhenua and Tararua.

Wellington Districts: Kapiti Coast, Masterton, Carterton, South Wairarapa, Porirua, Upper Hutt, Lower Hutt and Wellington.

SOUTH ISLAND

Tasman District: Tasman.

Nelson - Marlborough Districts: Nelson and Marlborough.

West Coast Districts: Buller, Grey and Westland.

North Canterbury Districts: Kaikoura, Hurunui, Selwyn, Waimakariri, Christchurch and Banks Peninsula

Otago Districts: Queenstown-Lakes, Central Otago, Waitaki, Dunedin and Clutha.

Southland Districts: Southland, Gore and Invercargill

It must be obvious to many of you that if you want to slip over a regional border to visit someone only a few kilometres away you can claim to go by car. However, if you want to use that same car for a long distance journey within your own regional area you will not receive any help at all. This is regardless of whether you are in any fit state to use the public transport system, or the public transport system is not going to allow you to get to your destination in a reasonable time-scale.

What do you think of the system? Is there a need to ping it into the Twenty First Century and not languish forever in the 1950s?

What would you like to see as a fair Travel Concession System for War Disablement Pensioners?