Give Youcef Freedom Pass

We, the undersigned, respectfully ask that Lambeth Social Services give Youcef Bey-Zekkoub (wheelchair user) a Freedom Pass.

The Freedom Pass is Youcefs' legs and Lambeth Social Services Refused to give him one.

Youcef Bey-Zekkoub is 34 years old man from Algeria. He's a wheelchair user as a result of an injury in 1999 which his neck was broken.

Three weeks ago Youcefs' Freedom Pass was renewed to 2010 but unfortunately on 06/04/08 it was gone missing. He reported it to the police and asked for a replacement one from the Accessible Transport Unit (Lambeth Social Services) but they said that he was not eligible to be issued a Freedom Pass because he is deemed to not have recourse to public funds and that is related to his immigration status ( he's an asylum seeker)

They have been issuing him with a Freedom Pass for the last 6 years and today they said that he's not entitled to. Youcef was not asking for a new freedom pass, he already got a valid one till 2010 but unfortunately he lost it thus he only was asking for a replacement one.

The reason why they named it Freedom Pass is because it offers a great amount of freedom to people in special need such as Youcef, and makes their daily life easier. We believe that Youcefs' freedom was taken away from him and he would be a 24/24 house-bound, additionally being isolated from his local community, and that will only complicate his daily life. What a Freedom Pass could bring to the life of a person like Youcef is beyond your widest imagination, and to be honest it is vital to his independency. It also encourages him to go out there and get involved.

I do not think when anybody suffers anything as devastating as a spinal injury that you could imagine he/she would be able to live their life to the full as they did before, especially of what Youcef have been through (he suffered considerably). Nevertheless if the help and support Youcef require are met, then there would be a great chance that his perspective of life would change, his perception of his own disability may change as well and hopefully he would see himself as able in many ways.

Finally, we would like to tell you that Youcefs' Freedom Pass was valid till 2010, and he also have a Blue badge and Taxi card. They said that they mad a mistake and they shouldnt have given it to him on first place but to be honest with you, how can they make mistake with Freedom pass, a Blue Badge and the Taxi Card and how can they make the same mistake for six year? I think that this is none sense and we believe he was not treated fairly especially that we got friends who are in similar position like Youcef and they got Freedom Pass. We believe that the only mistake they mad is by not issuing him with a replacement one. Please be aware that the Freedom Pass is Youcefs' legs and without it, he would not be able to move around and he wont even be able to do his shopping therefore it would be greatly appreciated if Lambeth Social Services provide him with Freedom Pass.