Dates of Eligibility for Concessionary Bus Passes
From 6th April 2010, the age of eligibility for concessionary travel for women will be pension age and for men it will be the pensionable age of a woman born on the same day.
Dates of Eligibility for Concessionary Bus Passes
From 6 April 2010, the age that residents can receive a free bus pass is changing.
The age of eligibility for the concessionary bus pass for both men and women will gradually increase from 60 to 65 between 2010 and 2020. This change is in line with the new state pension age for women that is being phased in over the next few years.
Currently, both men and women become eligible for a free bus pass on their 60th birthday. The new plan means that by April 2020 the age of eligibility will have increased to 65.
The age of eligibility will rise by two months every one month. This means the earliest date you can get your free bus pass will depend on which month and which year you were born. Please see the table below;
| Period within which date of birth falls | Day becomes eligible for concessionary bus pass |
| Before and including 5th Apr 1950 | 60th birthday |
| 6th April 1950 to 5th May 1950 | 6th May 2010 |
| 6th May 1950 to 5th Jun 1950 | 6th Jul 2010 |
| 6th Jun 1950 to 5th Jul 1950 | 6th Sep 2010 |
| 6th Jul 1950 to 5th Aug 1950 | 6th Nov 2010 |
| 6th Aug 1950 to 5th Sep 1950 | 6th Jan 2011 |
| 6th Sep 1950 to 5th Oct 1950 | 6th Mar 2011 |
| 6th Oct 1950 to 5th Nov 1950 | 6th May 2011 |
| 6th Nov 1950 to 5th Dec 1950 | 6th July 2011 |
| 6th Dec 1950 to 5th Jan 1951 | 6th Sep 2011 |
| 6th Jan 1951 to 5th Feb 1951 | 6th Nov 2011 |
| 6th Feb 1951 to 5th Mar 1951 | 6th Jan 2012 |
| 6th Mar 1951 to 5th Apr 1951 | 6th Mar 2012 |
| 6th Apr 1951 to 5th May 1951 | 6th May 2012 |
| 6th May 1951 to 5th Jun 1951 | 6th Jul 2012 |
| 6th Jun 1951 to 5th Jul 1951 | 6th Sep 2012 |
| 6th Jul 1951 to 5th Aug 1951 | 6th Nov 2012 |
| 6th Aug 1951 to 5th Sep 1951 | 6th Jan 2013 |
| 6th Sep 1951 to 5th Oct 1951 | 6th Mar 2013 |
| 6th Oct 1951 to 5th Nov 1951 | 6th May 2013 |
| 6th Nov 1951 to 5th Dec 1951 | 6th Jul 2013 |
| 6th Dec 1951 to 5th Jan 1952 | 6th Sep 2013 |
| 6th Jan 1952 to 5th Feb 1952 | 6th Nov 2013 |
| 6th Feb 1952 to 5th Mar 1952 | 6th Jan 2014 |
| 6th Mar 1952 to 5th Apr 1952 | 6th Mar 2014 |
| 6th Apr 1952 to 5th May 1952 | 6th May 2014 |
| 6th May 1952 to 5th Jun 1952 | 6th Jul 2014 |
| 6th Jun 1952 to 5th Jul 1952 | 6th Sep 2014 |
| 6th Jul 1952 to 5th Aug 1952 | 6th Nov 2014 |
| 6th Aug 1952 to 5th Sep 1952 | 6th Jan 2015 |
| 6th Sep 1952 to 5th Oct 1952 | 6th Mar 2015 |
| 6th Oct 1952 to 5th Nov 1952 | 6th May 2015 |
| 6th Nov 1952 to 5th Dec 1952 | 6th Jul 2015 |
| 6th Dec 1952 to 5th Jan 1953 | 6th Sep 2015 |
| 6th Jan 1953 to 5th Feb 1953 | 6th Nov 2015 |
| 6th Feb 1953 to 5th Mar 1953 | 6th Jan 2016 |
| 6th Mar 1953 to 5th Apr 1953 | 6th Mar 2016 |
| 6th Apr 1953 to 5th May 1953 | 6th May 2016 |
| 6th May 1953 to 5th Jun 1953 | 6th Jul 2016 |
| 6th Jun 1953 to 5th Jul 1953 | 6th Sep 2016 |
| 6th Jul 1953 to 5th Aug 1953 | 6th Nov 2016 |
| 6th Aug 1953 to 5th Sep 1953 | 6th Jan 2017 |
| 6th Sep 1953 to 5th Oct 1953 | 6th Mar 2017 |
| 6th Oct 1953 to 5th Nov 1953 | 6th May 2017 |
| 6th Nov 1953 to 5th Dec 1953 | 6th Jul 2017 |
| 6th Dec 1953 to 5th Jan 1954 | 6th Sep 2017 |
| 6th Jan 1954 to 5th Feb 1954 | 6th Nov 2017 |
| 6th Feb 1954 to 5th Mar 1954 | 6th Jan 2018 |
| 6th Mar 1954 to 5th Apr 1954 | 6th Mar 2018 |
| 6th Apr 1954 to 5th May 1954 | 6th May 2018 |
| 6th May 1954 to 5th Jun 1954 | 6th Jul 2018 |
| 6th Jun 1954 to 5th Jul 1954 | 6th Sep 2018 |
| 6th Jul 1954 to 5th Aug 1954 | 6th Nov 2018 |
| 6th Aug 1954 to 5th Sep 1954 | 6th Jan 2019 |
| 6th Sep 1954 to 5th Oct 1954 | 6th Mar 2019 |
| 6th Oct 1954 to 5th Nov 1954 | 6th May 2019 |
| 6th Nov 1954 to 5th Dec 1954 | 6th Jul 2019 |
| 6th Dec 1954 to 5th Jan 1955 | 6th Sep 2019 |
| 6th Jan 1955 to 5th Feb 1955 | 6th Nov 2019 |
| 6th Feb 1955 to 5th Mar 1955 | 6th Jan 2020 |
| 6th Mar 1955 to 5th Apr 1955 | 6th Mar 2020 |
Anyone born on or after 6 April 1955 will have to wait until they are 65 to claim their free bus pass.
The changes to the age of eligibility will not affect anyone who has turned 60 on or before 5 April 2010
There is also a ready reckoner tool which enables people affected by the pension age changes to see at what age they become eligible for their state pension and associated benefits. You can find this on the DirectGov website at:
http://pensions.direct.gov.uk/en/state-pension-age-calculator/home.asp
For the purposes of working out the date of eligibility for the bus pass using this tool, you should enter your gender as female. The date of state pension age calculated will be the date on which you become eligible for the concessionary bus pass. However if you are male, this will not necessarily be the same date on which you become entitled to the state pension.