MP praises railway card as way to help jobseekers in North East Bedfordshire get into work

Peak time services are set to be reduced from Bedford station

The Rail Delivery Group brings together train companies and Network Rail to enable a better railway.

The Jobcentre Plus Travel Discount Card is available to those claiming Jobseekers Allowance or Universal Credit for between 13-39 weeks (18-24 year olds) or 13-52 weeks (25 and over).

It offers jobseekers a 50 per cent discount on train fares (Anytime Day tickets, Off Peak Day tickets, and Season tickets) as they travel to interviews, to the Jobcentre, or to and from training, for up to three months at a time.

Nationally, between March 2017 and March 2018, 518,822 discounted journeys were made by jobseekers, with 118 jobseekers having taken advantage of the discount card’s benefits in North East Bedfordshire.

Alistair said: “It is great to see the train companies and Jobcentre Plus working together. The cost of travel can sometimes be a barrier to getting to interviews and training. However, it is initiatives like these that are making the difference in getting people into work. I support the Rail Delivery Group in raising awareness for this scheme and want to help them ensure that everyone who is eligible in NE Bedfordshire knows about the discounts available”.