The Department for Transport has confirmed that from April 2026, residents in England will need to wait an extra year before becoming eligible for their free bus pass. The qualifying age will rise from 66 to 67, in line with the scheduled increase in the state pension age.
Currently, free bus travel is available from age 66 in England, unlike Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland where it is available from age 60. Local authorities such as London and Merseyside can choose to fund the provision themselves, offering free travel to younger age groups.
The change accompanies the state pension age rise from 66 to 67, which will be fully rolled out across the UK by 2028. The Pensions Act 2014 accelerated this increase by eight years, affecting those born between 6 March 1961 and 5 April 1977.
A Department for Transport 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.'
The English National Concessionary Travel Scheme offers free off-peak bus journeys between 9.30am and 11.00pm on weekdays and all day at weekends and bank holidays. Local authorities have the power to offer additional concessions, such as lowering the age of eligibility, funded from local resources.
A parliamentary debate in January followed a petition with over 100,000 signatures calling for over-60s in England to receive the same entitlements as those in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Labour MP Tony Vaughan highlighted that 'there are a quarter of a million more people aged 60 to 64 in relative income poverty than there were in 2010.'
