Residents in England are set to wait an additional year before they can claim their free bus pass, the Department for Transport has officially confirmed.
What is changing with the bus pass?
The rule change is scheduled to take effect from April 2026. This adjustment directly ties the eligibility for the free bus pass to the State Pension age, which is itself gradually increasing.
Currently, the benefit becomes available at age 66 in England. However, this qualifying age is now being extended by a further 12 months. This is part of the wider plan to fully raise the State Pension age from 66 to 67 by 2028.
A divided United Kingdom
This development highlights a significant disparity across the UK. While English passengers face a longer wait, the policy in other nations is far more generous.
In Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, free bus travel is accessible from the age of 60. This creates a clear postcode lottery, where a 65-year-old in Cardiff can travel for free, but their counterpart in Cornwall cannot.
Public outcry and parliamentary petition
The decision has not been met quietly. A petition hosted on the official UK Parliament website is demanding action to align England with the rest of the UK.
The petition calls for the government to "extend free bus travel to all people over 60 years old in England outside London." It argues that the current situation is "unjust" and seeks equality for everyone over 60.
The campaign has gained substantial traction, with over 100,000 signatures collected. This milestone means the petition has crossed the threshold for consideration for a parliamentary debate, and it now awaits a date to be scheduled.
In its defence, the Department for Transport emphasised the cost of the scheme. A DfT spokesperson stated: "The English National Concessionary Travel Scheme costs around £700 million annually. Any changes to the statutory scheme must be carefully considered for their impact on its financial sustainability."
Despite acknowledging that bus passes are "vital to many older people," the government appears to be prioritising financial considerations over calls for national parity.
