Taxpayers must fund bikes for refugees and pensioners, MPs tell Labour

Telegraph

28-03-2025

Taxpayers should fund bikes for refugees and pensioners, a group of MPs has told Labour.
The All-Party Parliamentary Group for Cycling and Walking has called on the Government to 'reduce the financial barriers' which stop people getting on two wheels.
The bizarre campaign wants the taxpayer-funded Cycle to Work scheme to be revised so that it caters to 'those who most need financial assistance' including retired households, refugees and those on low incomes.
Under its current guise, employers offer staff the chance to buy a bike and accessories via salary sacrifice.
The tax perk – which has been uncapped for the past six years – means employees reduce their income tax bills and National Insurance contributions, and get their hands on an expensive new bike.
Critics argue the tax breaks only benefit higher earners, while those on low incomes are priced out of affording a bike on their own accord.
Labour MP Fabian Hamilton, chairman of the parliamentary group, said Cycle to Work has 'done a great deal of good', but it now needs reshaping.
He said: 'It mainly serves those in stable employment and brings about more savings to higher earners.
'What we need is a reformed approach that opens up the scheme to support people on lower incomes, freelance workers, disabled people who require adapted expensive cycles, and pensioners who aren't in work but could benefit greatly from the health benefits of cycling.'
A report released by the parliamentary group suggests refugees should also benefit from a widened cycle support scheme.
It reads: 'A decent cycle costs money – an e-cycle costs more, and adapted cycles cost more still.
'For the large proportions of the population who cannot store cycles inside their homes, the cost of secure storage can be prohibitive, which puts cycling out of reach for those on the lowest incomes, including refugees. Yet this is the group that could often benefit most from it.'
It hails 'highly effective' Welcome Wheels projects which support refugees and asylum seekers with free second-hand bikes.
The group of MPs has also urged the Government to subsidise e-bikes for low-income households in rural areas.
Incentives should be brought in 'where distances can make using an unpowered cycle impractical', the report states.
E-bike subsidies are relatively common in Europe, but France scrapped its scheme in February. In 2023 alone, the French state paid out €40m (£33.3bn) in subsidies, with grants ranging from €150 to €2,000.
The parliamentary working group has also urged the Government to ramp up its efforts to combat pavement parking and cap the cost of renting a cycle hangar space.
The group said the cost of a hangar space should not exceed a sixth of the cheapest parking permit in the same area. It also wants the Cycle to Work scheme to undergo a rebrand.
Mr Hamilton said: 'The current name and structure no longer reflect the way people live and work. Many do not commute to a traditional workplace, and cycling has far wider benefits than just getting to the office.
'A Cycle for Health scheme could deliver savings to society by easing pressure on the NHS and improving public health. A fairer scheme focused on health and inclusion would better serve the public good.'