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Hundreds of disabled people who may have their right to free travel withdrawn gathered outside Hackney town hall to protest against the proposed cuts.

Hackney council is one of a handful of London local authorities that are scrapping travel passes in a move that will affect thousands of people with disabilities.

The council says it is acting within the Transport Act 2000 in rejecting hundreds of applications for the disabled people’s freedom pass, which entitles holders to free travel on bus tube and rail.

The council sent a letter at the end of last year saying that it had changed its eligibility criteria and only those who were on a higher rate mobility component of disability living allowance, or could provide supporting evidence from a medical consultant, would be entitled to the pass. A GP’s letter will no longer be accepted.

Charity Greater London Action on Disability (GLAD) has now launched a campaign, 'Defend The Disabled People’s Pass'. A spokesperson for the campaign said: "Hackney social services has targeted £5 million cutbacks to hit some of its most vulnerable residents and assumes we won’t fight back."

Brenda Ellis, co-ordinator of GLAD, said other councils, including Lambeth, Croydon and Richmond, were also cutting the pass for people on a lower rate of disability living allowance.

A spokesperson for Hackney council said that it was acting within criteria set out in guidance from the department of local government transport and the regions, and was encouraging people to provide evidence of their disability.