As the state pension age is rising from April 2026, and this means free bus passes are being affected accordingly. While free bus passes are granted from the age of 60 in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, as well as in certain cities, yet England as a whole has different rules in line with the state pension age.
The State Pension age is set to rise from 66 to 67 between 2026 and 2028, as stated in the State Pension Act 2014. As a result, people who were born between 6 March 1961 and 5 April 1977 will be eligible to claim the State Pension when they reach 67, which will also apply to their concessionary bus passes.
The Department for Transport (DfT) spokesperson said: “We fully recognise bus passes are vital to many older people, providing access to essential services and keeping people connected through free local travel. We’re already in the process of making ambitious reforms to improve bus services for all passengers and supporting local areas to improve reliability and affordability.”
“Local authorities in England have the power to offer concessions in addition to their statutory obligations, for example, by lowering the age of eligibility. These are additional local concessions provided and funded by local authorities from local resources, depending on the needs and priorities of each area.”
Will Liverpool be affected?
Those residing in Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, St Helens or Wirral who are 60 or older are still eligible for the Merseytravel pass, giving passengers free bus and train across Merseyside, as well as Mersey Ferries river crossings.
You can find out more about the Merseytravel pass here.
Labour MP Tony Vaughan said: “There are many areas of our country where there is free bus travel for the over-60s: London, Liverpool, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. In our country, there is a growing misperception that if someone is over 60, they are somehow financially blessed, with a house on which the mortgage has been paid off, and they have plenty of assets and capital washing around. Many people think that the over-60s do not need free bus travel. I challenge that narrative.
“A new report from Standard Life identifies a substantial rise in financial insecurity among people in their early 60s, after the increases in the state pension age since 2010, and highlights that there are a quarter of a million more people aged 60 to 64 in relative income poverty than there were in 2010.”
Independent MP Iqbal Mohamed said: “The fact that more than 100,000 people signed it shows how strongly the public feel about the issue and how far it reaches into people’s everyday lives. People’s access to free travel should not depend on where they live or how stretched their council’s budget happens to be. National problems require national solutions.”
Labour’s Mohammad Yasin stated: “Free bus travel for over-60s would not only provide much-needed financial relief, but help to reduce social isolation, support access to healthcare and enable continued engagement in work, volunteering and community life.”
Mr Lightwood said: “For many people in their early 60s, buses are a lifeline to work, caring, volunteering and staying active in their communities. However, eligibility for an older person’s bus pass in England is set in legislation at the state pension age, which is currently 66. That link reflects changes in longevity and helps to ensure that the scheme remains equitable and affordable over time. Any change to national eligibility would therefore need to be considered carefully.
“The concessionary travel scheme is a significant national entitlement. Local authority spending on concessionary travel, supported by the Government, is around £795 million a year. Changing the national statutory eligibility would carry substantial additional recurring costs.
“At the end of last year, we confirmed long-term investment of more than £3 billion over the next three years to support local leaders and bus operators across the country, in order to improve local bus services for millions of passengers over the remainder of this spending period.”