Just thought I would pass this on. Taken from ShiftMS site. A small victory for the UK MSers Good News – anyone that can show they have MS – a letter from your GP is fine – is entitled to a DPRC. End of story. If you have MS, you are entitled. Presently the website makes it sound like you aren’t entitled unless you are in receipt of certain benefits. They agree this is misleading and have undertaken to change it. In the meantime, here is what to do – – have a scan/photo or the emailed attachment of your proof of MS – go to their website and use ANY of the categories (none of which sound remotely relevant at present) to apply and attach the proof and add a note that you have MS and are applying like this because at present there is no other way to do it – pay your £54 for a 3 year DPRC This entitles you AND one person accompanying you to 30% off rail fares at all times, including peak times. The Rail Ombudsman were v helpful in getting to the right person in the Rail Delivery Group and both MS Society and my MP have expressed an interest if they didn’t come around, but they saw sense and have been very good about it. In future, the website will have a space for ‘Any other qualifying condition’ or similar. The final email is copied below:- >> Hello Dominic It was good to talk to you earlier. I can confirm that as discussed, we’ll make it clear on the website that if customers believe they might be eligible to contact us to discuss.
Crikey - that’s super-useful. Thank you.
Alison
Thanks,
Good work!
Hi Hope 33 Thank you for your post. Can I just double check that anyone with ms, even if they are still allowed to drive, are still mobile and don’t qualify for pip can claim this? I use trains for longer journeys as I just get so tired driving any distance so it would be useful, but as you say the website does imply that you can only get one if you are either not able to drive (Epilepsey) or are in receipt of a benefit. This would be great as my friend when we go away together does get a bit irritated as the trains cost more than buses, but I need to move occasionally as otherwise I’m in pain and you can’t on a bus but can on a train.
I saw this for Oyster Card users in London.
I also noticed this in the FAQ’s for those that use Oyster on TFL … every little helps
https://www.disabledpersons-railcard.co.uk/help/faqs/379/
Railcard discounted tickets which involve a cross-London journey are valid for travel on the London Underground.
Disabled Persons Railcard holders can also register their Railcard discount onto an Oyster card to get 1/3 off Oyster pay as you go single fares and daily caps on National Rail, London Underground and Docklands Light Railway services.
To set your discount on an Oyster card take your Oyster card and valid Railcard to a London Underground station and ask a member of staff to set the discount for you. You can also get the discount set at Oyster Ticket Shops and Visitor Centres.
Oyster pay as you go discounts are for the Disabled Persons Railcard holder only.
As a special concession, a Disabled Persons Railcard holder travelling on Oyster pay as you go can get 1/3 off an Off-Peak Day Travelcard Zones 1-6 (including stations in London Zones 7-9 if required) for one adult travelling with them.
The accompanying person must travel with the Railcard holder for the whole of the journey.
If the Disabled Persons Railcard holder is travelling on a Disabled Person’s Freedom Pass, they cannot use their Disabled Persons Railcard to buy a discounted ticket for an accompanying person.
See the Transport for London website for more details on Oyster pay as you go.
Hope that helps!
S
Hi Chatterbox,
I have had my Railcard processed and I don’t have PIP or anything else.
You do need to show them proof of your MS though - a letter from your doctor/neuro and and add a note why you are applying under a category.
Hope that helps!
S
Thank you S - for both replies. Yes no problem providing prove, got a few letters, lol. Thank you for both answers. I shall do this at some point this weekend. It would have been useful to know this when I had my optic neuritis, but at least I know now. And thank you for people posting on this forum.
Great news! When can we get a blue badge??
My DPRC is a real bonus. Let’s pass it on.
Very frustrated as today tried to buy a disabled person rail card, but was told a blue badge and an MS diagnosis didn’t make me disabled as I didn’t fit into any of the categories in the website. This was after waiting 15 minutes for them to answer my call. Did explain my ‘evidence’, but they assured me I was wrong. Will try again, but really wanted to be able to travel by train tomorrow, as to go from Worcester to London, lunch with a very dear old friend has just become an extremely expensive meal and I am way too tired to drive.
- Of you always travel together get a two together railcard, one third off each, just google, can’t post links on this tablet
Alison x
DRC won’t come thru in 24 hrs thats for sure. To get cheaper tkts for London, book online and in advance. Otherwise it IS expensive.
Haven’t tried for a DPRC cos my husband gets one because he wears a hearing aids. Certainly when we looked into whether I would get one the answer appeared to be no because I don’t have a blue badge! Looks like I’ll have to continue to travel on the train as his ‘carer’! Never mind he can join me free at national trust sites as my ‘carer’. So my employer has to regard me as disabled because I’ve got MS and its listed as an automatic condition covered by disabled equality law, but loads of other organisations seem to be able to ignore it!!
Thanks to this post I got a Disabled Persons Rail Card today, I did the entire thing over the phone, calling the DP railcard phone number. Lady I spoke to wasn’t even aware about people with MS being entitled to it at first. I explained to her about this post and what was said, she went off and asked and came back and said ‘let’s go ahead’. While I was on the phone to her I emailed her a copy of a letter my doctor wrote confirming my MS and the issues that causes. She processed it and I was sent a confirmation email which I can use immediately for discounts, while I want for my card to arrive. So thank you so much!
Great news.
Don’t forget that you can use the vouchers from the supermarket where ‘every little helps’ to get even better value for money!
Can only get one valid for a year but I saved £££ on my first journey.
Jen
Hi, I enquired and sent them proof and they have told me I’m NOT entitled to a card. I think they don’t understand my diagnosis letter as the terminology used to diagnose me confused me too - so I had to clarify with my gp. I’ve asked them to provide the complaints process as I will be taking this to the ombudsman.
Hello,
I have just received my three year railcard, in large to this post, thank you.
I had a degree of pushback from Railcard, who were only prepared to offer me a one year card. Realising this made no sense, and they had somewhat painted themselves into a corner, I called them.
They seemed to be under the illusion I needed to provide them with an exemption certificate from the NHS. I made it clear to them that I didn’t know what that was and it was also not the case.
I used this section of the Government website
And this statement on Railcards own website
www.nationalrail.co.uk/archive/NFM20/times_fares/prde83090a04000400aa38c2e2bbd524.html
(remove the * in the link above as I’m only allowed one link per post as a new user)
I read the section on ‘Progressive conditions’ to the call handler and their supervisor.
I explained to them that if they didn’t issue me with a three year railcard they were discriminating against a disabled person and were in breech of UK law.
After a short pause they issued me with the a three year railcard.
I hope this helps if anyone else is having difficulty.
Thanks
Rich
I wish I’d seen this chain before I purchased several very expensive seasons tickets in recent years but I’ve seen it now! Couldn’t apply online but have sent a query and will be quoting you guys if I get any pushback! Cheers 
Hi Rich
This would be really helpful for me when I visit my parents. They live 5-6 hours away and I end up driving as the train is so expensive but it’s really tiring.
Do you have any more links as I can’t find where they mention 'Progressive conditions"? The above link takes me to a 2015 post on their website.
Thanks
Jo
Update - I used the advice from Shift MS, chose the first option for ‘eligibilty’ on the Railcard website even though I don’t get PIP, for evidence I attached an old letter I had from my MS nurse and purchased the railcard. I then followed this up by emailing them quoting the purchase reference number and saying that MS is covered under the Equality act and that while I did not receive PIP a card would help as I find driving long distances tiring. Two days later I got an email with my digital card. No queries from Railcard.
This is going to be a huge help when I visit my parents and don’t have the energy both physically and mentally to drive.
I felt a bit guilty for applying as I thought ‘I don’t really deserve it’, and this got me thinking about invisible MS symptoms. It’s very easy to start viewing yourself in the the same way that the non-MS community does - there’s nothing wrong with me, I look OK so I must be OK etc. etc. Fatigue/tiredness, not sleeping well, bladder issues, injection site reactions from meds, numbness, symptoms feeling worse when it gets hot, trouble concentrating etc. are all relatively mild when you know what else other MSers are going through. But, they affect YOUR life and make YOUR life that little bit harder than it would be if you didn’t have MS. So, if there is something small that can help I decided I should’t be embarrassed or feel guilty for getting that help.