Current status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 15 March 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to increase the accessibility of the Older and Disabled Persons and Young Persons concessionary travel schemes to eligible asylum seekers.
The Scottish Government takes an inclusive approach for people seeking asylum, enabling access to support and services on the same basis as other Scottish residents where there is not a specific prohibition on access through immigration legislation or rules.
We recognise that asylum seekers may have difficulties in accessing free bus travel and recommend that they apply in person, rather than through the online application route.
The Improvement Service issued guidance on applications for asylum seekers and refugees to Local Authorities, who administer in person applications, in September 2021. This guidance advised that proofs specific to asylum seekers and refugees, the Application Registration Card (ARC) issued by the Home Office, can be used to apply for a NEC in person, in conjunction with other information or evidence available to a council, a school or a dedicated staff member within a Local Authority.
The ARC is not accepted for online applications as under the UK Proof of Age Scheme (PASS) it cannot be used to establish evidence of identification online and there is no online equivalent to the help provided offline to support applications.
The Improvement Service guidance has been passed to charities working with asylum seekers and refugees to help with the process. Officials will continue to engage with these groups to discuss how best to help asylum seekers get free bus travel.