MOST jobseekers in Waltham Forest are missing out on half price bus fares because they do not know they can apply for the discount, according to a new report.
London TravelWatch, an independent watchdog funded by the London Assembly, says that only 43 per cent of eligible unemployed people in Waltham Forest claim the cheaper fares.
The organisation has accused some jobcentres of not doing enough to promote the scheme.
Chair of London TravelWatch Sharon Grant said: “The number of people using this discount across London varies enormously from well over 90 per cent in some boroughs to as little as 42.8 per cent in Waltham Forest and 24 per cent in Barking and Dagenham.
"This suggests that in some Jobcentres are promoting the discount and others aren’t. This cannot be right.”
She added: “Discounted transport can make a huge difference to those on a low income. We’d like all Jobcentres promoting the discount properly and an end to the postcode lottery.”
The Guardian is awaiting a response from the Department of Work and Pensions, which is in charge of jobcentres.
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