Free bus pass eligibility in England is tied to the State Pension age which means it is changing once again in October. As the retirement age increases from 66 to 67, the qualifying age for a free bus pass is also moving upward alongside it
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) State Pension age is rising over a gradual two-year phased period that began in May 2026 and will finish by April 2028. The change affects anyone born on or after April 6, 1960. Under the English National Concessionary Travel Scheme, eligibility for a free bus pass is tied to the age. Anyone born between certain years will now have to wait until they turn 67 to claim both their State Pension and their free national bus pass.
