A cancer patient did not receive Ulez fee refunds for months as Transport for London (TfL) failed to repay costs.
The patient – referred to as R.C. – from Westerham suffers from Crohn’s disease and has been treated for blood cancer since 2016.
Consequently, the patient attends appointments once or twice a week at King’s College Hospital Trust in south London – which is right in the heart of the Ulez capture area, 11 miles from his home in rural Kent.
The patient said that he sent off the “relevant paperwork” to the hospital, which repays him through a “special reimbursement scheme”.
The patient attends appointments once or twice a week at King’s College Hospital Trust in south London
GETTY
However, the system worked until April and now he is owed around £530 and wondered whether this had affected anyone else, according to The Mail.
For each trip into the zone, owners driving vehicles which do not comply with the low-emission standards outlined by TfL must pay a fee of £12.50.
To ensure that he never forgot to pay the price, R.C. set up a Ulez autopay account which normally helps users cut corners.
After initial contact with TfL, the patient’s refund request remained unfulfilled.
He also claimed that the transport organisation refused to discuss the issue with him directly, although he reached out to them on several occasions.
Following further intervention, TfL sent cheques to R.C. to repay the months’ worth of refunds.
A TfL spokesman has said: “We are very sorry for the difficulties R.C. has experienced using the NHS Ulez charge reimbursement scheme and any distress caused.
“We have returned the funds to him and are in contact with King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust to help them with the process for refund requests to ensure claims are properly submitted.”
Patients who have to travel into the Ulez area are entitled to receive refunds for the cost (Stock)
PA
Meanwhile, a spokesman for King’s College Hospital has explained that all outstanding claims had been processed, adding: “We have continued to submit monthly claims to TfL for patients eligible for Ulez reimbursement.”
They added that they have “experienced difficulty in getting some claims processed” and had raised the issue with the TfL complaints team.
Patients who have to travel into the Ulez area are entitled to receive refunds for the cost – as well as the £15 congestion charge, if applicable.
They must apply through their hospital or NHS Trust.
Additionally, patients must be sufficiently weak or disabled to not be able to use public transport, which is assessed by the hospital.