The Department for Transport has confirmed a change to the free bus pass age, affecting anyone born after 1961. Under new plans, individuals celebrating their 66th birthday after April 2026 will have to wait longer to claim their free bus pass, as it is now aligned with the rising state pension age.
Who is affected?
Millions born between 1961 and 1977 will be impacted. Those turning 66 before April 2026 can still claim their pass at 66. However, anyone reaching 66 in July 2026 must wait until age 66 and four months. People born between March 6, 1961, and April 5, 1977, will be entitled to their free bus pass only upon turning 67.
Government timetable and rationale
The government has released a phased timetable outlining the increase in state pension age, which directly affects bus pass eligibility. The change is part of broader efforts to align benefits with pension age reforms.
Reaction from political figures
Incoming Prime Minister Andy Burnham commented on the transformation of bus services in Manchester, saying: “You go from deregulation to regaining public control, it’s just unbelievable what becomes possible. It’s mind-blowing that deregulation was ever, ever brought in – public interest went out the window and people were cut off.” He added: “We put the bee on the side of the buses to denote that public control. And now we’re acting visibly, tangibly in the interests of our residents.”
Expert opinion
Professor Tony Travers, a local government expert at the London School of Economics, noted: “It has cost quite a lot in subsidy, but it could have gone wrong and it’s gone right. It’s a good system. When I go to Manchester now I use the tram, in the way I’d use the Métro in Paris – and that’s not true elsewhere in Britain. It’s made significant strides in creating the kind of integrated transport other European cities have.”
