Concessionary Travel - March 2010

New Scheme Details from April 2010

From April 2010, South Lakeland District Council will be making no changes to its Concessionary Travel Scheme. 

Changes to the age of eligibility

The Department for Transport has announced changes to the age of eligibility for concessionary bus travel in line with the changes that are being made to the state pension age from April 2010.

For the purpose of concessionary travel this means tying the age of eligibility for the bus pass to the pensionable age for women. So, as the pensionable age for women gradually increases from 60 to 65 over the ten-year period from 2010 to 2020 so too will the age of eligibility for the concessionary bus pass increase for both men and women.

Currently both men and women become eligible for a free bus pass at 60. These plans mean that by 2020 the age of eligibility will increase to 65. Until pensionable age is equalised between the sexes in 2020, men will continue to become eligible for a concessionary bus pass when they reach the pensionable age of a woman born on the same day.

To summarise, the age of eligibility for the state pension is scheduled to rise by two months every one month. This means the earliest date on which a person can obtain a bus pass will depend on which month they were born in and will not fall on their birthday.

The link below provides a calculator to work out the age of eligibility. Simply enter your date of birth and it will work out the date of eligibility for you.

Directgov State Pension Age Calculator

The changes to the age of eligibility will not impact on anyone already in possession of a bus pass. The changes will only affect those due to turn 60 on or after 6 April 2010 and will bring eligibility for the national bus concession into line with changes to other entitlements that have already been announced by the Department for Work and Pensions.

Concessionary Travel for Elderly and Disabled Persons

For full details of Concessionary Travel for Elderly and Disabled Persons please use the links below to the appropriate page you require.

Elderly Person's Concessionary Travel

Disabled Person's Concessionary Travel

The NoWcard Area comprises the Shire districts of the Counties of Cumbria and Lancashire and the Unitary Authority areas of Blackburn-with-Darwen and Blackpool (i.e. Allerdale, Barrow, blackburn-with-Darwen, Blackpool, Burnley, Carlisle, Chorley, Copeland, Eden, South Ribble, West Lancashire and Wyre).