Overview

• From April next year, concessionary bus pass eligibility in England will shift up by a year as passes remain linked to State Pension age.
• The State Pension age is rising from 66 to 67 between 2026 and 2028 under the legislated timetable set in 2014.
• People born from 6 March 1961 to 5 April 1977 will qualify at age 67, which defers their bus pass entitlement accordingly.
• Local authorities can fund earlier or broader concessions, with the government citing the scheme’s roughly £700 million annual cost and a £712 million allocation to councils for bus services.
• A petition calling for free travel from 60 in England has surpassed 100,000 signatures and awaits a Commons debate, while the DWP’s pension age review is taking evidence until 24 October 2025 under Dr Suzy Morrissey.