Overview
- MPs hold a Westminster Hall debate at 4:30pm after a petition surpassing 100,000 signatures called for free bus travel from 60 in England.
- England links the older person's bus pass to state pension age, unlike Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland where eligibility starts at 60.
- The Department for Transport says reducing the age would require substantial additional funding, noting the ENCTS costs about £700 million a year.
- From April, people in England will wait an extra year for a pass as eligibility follows the rise in state pension age from 66 to 67.
- Local authorities can extend concessions at their own expense, with London and Merseyside already doing so, and £712 million from the 2024 bus package can support local decisions.