Latest news with #LondonFreedomPass
Daily Mirror
31-07-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mirror
Free bus travel for over 60s update as calls for London scheme to be extended to rest of England
A huge campaign is being waged to try to get people in England the same concessionary travel as those in London do A proposal has been put forward to extend the free travel system, currently available to all individuals over 60 in London, across the entire country. A significant campaign is underway to provide the same concessionary travel benefits to people in England as those enjoyed by Londoners. At present, the devolved governments in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland offer free bus travel to individuals from the age of 60. However, in England, it's up to local authorities - many of which are grappling with severe funding issues - to provide this service. As a result, most people only receive their free pass at the age of 66. This means that free travel for those aged 60 is only available in a few areas, such as Merseyside and London. In these locations, individuals can travel for free on transport services using an Oyster photocard. Unlike much of the rest of England, London residents enjoy free travel on buses, the Tube, trams, DLR, London Overground, Elizabeth line (excluding between West Drayton and Reading) and most National Rail services in London. They can travel for free on TfL services anytime Monday to Friday, except between 04:30-09:00, and can travel for free anytime at weekends and on bank holidays. A massive petition calling for free travel for all over 60s in England has just wrapped up on the Parliament website - attracting more than 100,000 signatures. This means MPs should now debate the issue, which could pile additional pressure on the Department for Transport (DfT) to outline its stance and specifically address the concerns raised. A date hasn't been fixed but is expected to be revealed shortly. The petition states: "We call on the Government to extend free bus travel to all people over 60 years old in England outside London. We believe the current situation is unjust and we want equality for everyone over 60. "Currently, people in England who do not live in London are not entitled to free bus travel until they reach the state pension age, which we believe has changed dramatically. As people get older some over 60s drive less and less, therefore we believe we need equality on public transport. It would mean England had the same provision as Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland." This week brought fresh developments as Tory Nick Timothy questioned Secretary of State for Transport Heidi Alexander in writing about whether people who benefit from the London free travel scheme could use it elsewhere in the country. This could have major ramifications as any nationwide scheme might lead to the concession being more broadly available. Mr Timothy posed a question to Ms Alexander, asking: "What assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of passengers with a London Freedom Pass being able to travel for free in areas where the eligibility for free travel is set at an older age." Simon Lightwood, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport, responded that it was up to local authorities to decide whether to allow free travel earlier. He explained: "The English National Concessionary Travel Scheme (ENCTS) provides free off-peak bus travel to those with eligible disabilities and those of state pension age, currently 66. In London, the Older Person's Freedom Pass is eligible to all London residents over the age of 66, which is the statutory eligibility for the ENCTS as set out in legislation." He further clarified: "This therefore means that there would be no instance where a passholder of London's Older Person Freedom Pass would be using their pass in an area where the eligibility for free travel is set at a higher age." He added: "Residents who live in a London borough and are aged 60 or over are eligible for the 60+ London Oyster photocard. This concession enables passholders to travel for free on Transport for London (TfL) services and cannot be used to board services outside of London, with the exception of a small number of National Rail services connecting into London. This is an additional concession, funded and delivered at the discretion of TfL." To see the petition on complimentary bus travel for those over 60 in England and to view th e comprehensive DfT response, click here.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
You could be missing out on over £4,000 of free stuff for over 60s
Budgets are being stretched to the extreme this year, with inflation at heights not seen in a generation. The pound in your pocket is now worth much less – which makes it all the more important to make sure that you are getting all the support you are owed. There is a lot of support available for pensioners, ranging from government benefits to company freebies and discounts. Using all the help available could help you save hundreds of pounds a year, if not more – but not all perks are given automatically, so it's all too easy to miss out. Here, Telegraph Money sets out the essential money-saving tips every retiree should know. Once you hit 60, you are entitled to free NHS medical prescriptions in England (prescriptions are free in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales), which usually cost £9.90 for each medicine or appliance dispensed. If your date of birth is printed electronically on your prescription, then you should not need to provide any other evidence that you don't need to pay. Over 60s can also get free eye tests in England, which can start from around £25. You'll usually need to fill out some NHS forms for your optician when you reach 60 to ensure you no longer get charged for future tests. If you're receiving the 'guarantee credit' part of pension credit (more on this later), then you are also entitled to free NHS dental treatment, which could save around £27.50 every time you go for a scale and polish, according to the NHS. This element of pension credit can also enable you to claim help with travel costs if you need to go to hospital for NHS treatment or diagnostic tests – but you must first tell the hospital that you want to claim back the cost of your journey, and it will help you with the next steps. The annual flu jab is also free once you hit 65, which you'd otherwise have to pay for privately. If you are under this age, then the flu jab is only free if you have a long-term health condition that puts you at risk of complications if you catch the flu, such as a heart or lung condition, diabetes or asthma. The flu jab is free if you receive Carer's Allowance or are an informal carer of an older person who relies on you for care. If you are aged 60 or over, or under this age and have a disability, you might be eligible for public transport concessions. If you live anywhere in England, then you can get a bus pass for free local travel when you reach the state pension age, which is currently 66. In Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland you can get a bus pass earlier, at the age of 60. If you are 60 or over and live in London, then you can get free travel on buses, trains and other modes of transport in and around the city with a 60+ Oyster photocard. You may also be able to get a London Freedom Pass, which gives residents over the age of 66 free travel in the city across National Rail, the Underground, buses, river services and trams. This could save you up to £8.10 every day, which is the cap on travel between zone 1 and 2. There are other transport providers offering discounts, such as National Express. It offers Coachcards, which are discount cards for older or disabled customers. You can buy them for a set fee of £15 and they give you a third off the cost of your travel for a year. Based on taking four fully flexible return journeys from London to Bristol during this year, you could stand to save £52.80, quickly making back your money. If you take the train regularly, National Rail has a Senior Railcard for £35 a year or £80 for three years, where you can save an average of £112 a year on rail fares. Pensioners can also take advantage of big discounts at a huge range of museums, galleries and other attractions. For example, English Heritage offers people aged over 65 a membership of £5.75 a month or £69 per year, compared with £6.83 and £82 respectively for standard membership. Odeon, Vue and Empire cinema chains offer cheaper tickets to pensioners. Odeon Silvers, for example, is for over 60s who want to see films during quieter times of the day. Tickets are from £3.50, and the price includes tea, coffee and biscuits served before the film starts. Some football clubs also include a discounted senior citizen rate for tickets; for example, Chelsea fans over the age of 65 could save over £500 on a 2025-26 season ticket by going for the senior ticket option. Elsewhere, The Royal Shakespeare Company offers a 20pc discount on all seats for Monday and Tuesday evening performances, and all midweek matinees for those aged over 65. If you are above the state pension age and on a low income, then you may be eligible for pension credit to top up. Once you receive pension credit, you can access a range of other benefits, like free TV licences, so it is important to check if you're eligible. Pension credit comes in two parts: guarantee credit and savings credit. Only people who reached state pension age before 6 April 2016 can claim the savings credit part. Guarantee credit tops up your weekly income to a guaranteed level of £227.10 if you are single, or £346.60 if you are married or in a civil partnership. Savings credit provides extra money if you have made some provision towards your retirement by saving, or with a pension outside of the basic state pension. The extra income provided by savings credit is up to £17.30 a week for a single person, or £19.36 for married couples, civil partners or a partner you live with as if you were married. You might get additional pension credit if you are disabled, have caring responsibilities or if you are responsible for paying significant housing costs, such as mortgage payments. If you are aged 75 or over and claim pension credit, then you are entitled to a free TV licence, which usually costs £174.50. You need a TV licence to watch or record live programmes on any TV channel, including the BBC channels. You also need a licence to watch BBC programmes using BBC iPlayer, regardless of whether you are watching live or a downloaded programme on your TV, computer, tablet or smartphone. Once you turn 75, you need to apply for your free TV licence as they are not given out automatically. You can call TV Licensing on 0300 790 6117 for an application form, or apply online. If you are blind or have a severe sight impairment then you can claim a 50pc discount on your TV licence – regardless of how old you are or whether you claim pension credit. You can do this by calling the same number above, or apply online. You will need to provide a photocopy of the certificate from your local authority ophthalmologist confirming that you are blind or sight-impaired, and your TV licence application form and fee. If you live with anyone else, the licence must be in your name to get the discount. If you live in a care home or sheltered housing, you might be eligible for an accommodation for residential care (ARC) licence, which costs £7.50. You will need a licence if you watch TV in your own separate accommodation, rather than in a communal lounge. If you have already paid the full amount for a TV licence but you think you might be eligible for a discount or exemption, contact TV Licensing to see if they can help you apply for a refund. If you were born before 26 September 1957, you could get between £250 and £600 to help you pay your heating bills. However, Labour has reduced the number of people who can claim. Only pensioners in receipt of pension credit will be able to claim the Winter Fuel Payment, with £200 being paid to those under 80, and £300 for those over. It's estimated 10 million pensioners lost out last winter. Most people receive a Winter Fuel Payment automatically if they are eligible for it – you should receive a letter in October or November confirming how much you will get. If you did not get a letter but think you are eligible, then you should use the Government website to check if you need to make a claim. Housing benefit is a payment designed to help you pay your rent. You can make a claim if you have reached the state pension age. There is no set amount for housing benefits, as what you receive depends on your 'eligible' rent, whether you have a spare room, your household income and various other personal circumstances, such as the age of the people in the home. Housing benefit only applies to renters, but homeowners can also get 'support for mortgage interest' (SMI) if they also receive pension credit. This is paid as a loan, which you will have to repay with interest when you sell or transfer ownership of your home, unless you are moving the loan to another property. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
