Workers approaching retirement age are facing a longer wait for their free bus pass after a major rule change linked to the rising State Pension age.
The change affects people in England whose eligibility for an older person’s bus pass is tied directly to the State Pension age.
As the Government begins the next phase of increasing the State Pension age from 66 to 67, some people turning 66 this year will no longer automatically qualify for a free bus pass on their birthday.
Instead, they may have to wait several extra months before becoming eligible.
Who is affected this month?
They will need to be 66 years and 7 months old before they can claim their State Pension and qualify for a free bus pass in England.
For the purposes of calculating an individual’s State Pension age, gov.uk says the following applies:
Bus passengers have longer to wait as the State Pension age rises from 66 to 67. (Image: surachet_shotivaranon)
What the Government says
GOV.UK states: “There are 2 broad categories of people eligible for a statutory concession – older people and eligible disabled people.
“Both men and women are eligible for concessionary travel in England when they reach state pension age.”
There is an online tool allowing people to check exactly when they become eligible.
Why the rules are changing
The increase stems from legislation that raises the State Pension age from 66 to 67 between 2026 and 2028.
The Department for Work and Pensions explains: “The Pensions Act 2014 brought the increase in the State Pension age from 66 to 67 forward by eight years.”
The department added: “The State Pension age for men and women will now increase to 67 between 2026 and 2028.”
Full list of free bus pass eligibility ages
People born within the following dates will become eligible for a State Pension and free bus pass at these ages:
The exceptions to the rule
The changes do not apply everywhere, even in England.
People living in London and Merseyside can still access free travel through local concessionary schemes from age 60, depending on eligibility rules, meaning they are not affected in the same way as residents elsewhere in England.
For others, the age at which a free bus pass becomes available is now gradually increasing alongside the State Pension age, meaning thousands will have to wait longer before they can start travelling for free.
