TFL is refusing to waive a fine given to a woman who didn't pay her congestion charge because she had a miscarriage. The fine, which is £240, can be forgiven by TfL on a discretionary basis.
Caris explained to TfL what had happened, and they still declined to waive it.
She posted a picture of the letter from TfL, which sets a new bar for callousness. The letter reads:
'...You have stated that you were planning on paying the charge the day after working at the garden museum (as you go thome pretty late) but you discovered that you had a silent miscarriage the day after (1/8). You mentioned that everything else was forgotten in your grief and that you are happy to pay the £11.50 and you have attached the discharge notes as proof.
'Whilst Transport for London (TfL) recognises that this must have been a distressing tie for you, there is a responsibility for the appropriate charge to have been paid for the use of a vehicle on the road within the Congestion Charging Zone. We have considered fully the issues raised and have decided that on this occasion we are unable to exercise discretion and the PCN will not be cancelled, as the charge could have been purchased in advance.
Cairis wrote on Twitter: 'Thank you TfL for acknowledging my miscarriage would have been a 'distressing time' & I'm sorry that whilst I was pregnant I didn't pay for the congestion charge before anticipating that I would miscarry! I can assume that D. Milton is a man.'
It's easy to understand why, given the devastating blow Cairis was dealt, she didn't manage to pay her Congestion Charge.
After my miscarriage I didn't load the dishwasher, make the bed or do anything practical for at least a week. I can't imagine how the person at TfL who read her letter could possibly have expected her to remember to pay a Congestion Charge fee when she was going through a missed miscarriage.
Unfortunately, Cairis' experience is pretty typica in the UK, where talking about pregnancy loss is still stigmatised and there are no legal protections for women experiencing pregnancy loss.
1 in 4 pregnancies ends in loss. However, in the UK we have no protected characteristics for women who are experiencing a miscarriage. There is no such thing as miscarriage leave. It is up to your GP whether or not to sign you off from work after you lose a pregnancy.
When I lost my pregnancy earlier this year, I was initially offered a week long sign off.
I needed that time to be with my husband, to cry and to talk and drink a lot of wine. I needed time to rearrange the furniture in my head which had started to expect a baby.
It was still almost a month after my miscarriage that I was able to work in an office for a whole day without crying. Luckily between being freelance and having an extremely understanding editor, I was able to take the time that I needed to heal, to work from home and work flexibly, which in term enabled me to find some solace in writing. Many women aren't so lucky.
Any and all support comes from charities, or via asking your GP to refer you. Which again, is dependent on how lucky you are. Surely we as a society can agree that women who miscarry should be treated with more kindness than this?
Cairis then went on to say, 'I cannot afford to appeal your decision but will be making a formal complaint for the tone of your letter. I would not wish this on my worst enemy so am glad no one in your department seems to have experienced this or empathise.'
If you're frustrated by the treatment of Cairis,you can get in touch with TfL here.
If you're more generally frustrated by the way that women are treated during or post pregnancy lost, you might want to consider donating to Tommy's, who do amazing work in supporting women through miscarriage.
READ MORE: This Is Why We Need To End The Silence Around Miscarriage