General Chat

I'll be 60 in 2011. Can anyone tell me when I can apply for my free bus pass?

I was told I had to wait until I was 60 - and in the end I had to wait for a fortnight because I was in hospital for my 60th so I had to wait until I was discharged.

In our area you go to one of the council offices and they take a photo, and send out the pass in a couple of days.

Kath. x

Hi Green Pen,I got my pass last year,here in Sheffield, you just go along to your big bus station, they call it a Transport Interchange here,with either your driving licence or passport,they take a photo,and it is all done and dusted in a few mins,

Enjoy your freedom, Nina

That's exactly what I thought. However, I can't apply for mine until a month before my 61st birthday in 2012.....!

Anyone who reaches their 60th after the end of this tax year, will find that their entitlement to a free bus pass, free prescriptions, winter heating allowance, pension credit and women's pension will be delayed.

So, if you are 60 on may 5th 2010, you get it the next day. However, if you are 60 between May 6th and June 5th 2010, you have to wait until July the 6th.

If your birthday falls in the following month then you have to wait a further two months, i.e. September 6th. This carries on i.e. 2 month wait for every1 month of age until the age limit has risen from 60 to 65. 65.

So, depending when exactly in the year you were born, someone 59 now will have to wait until they are 61. Someone who is 58, until they are 62, someone who is 57, until they are 63, 56 to 64 and 55 to 65.

We have to get ours from the Borough council offices.

Hi Green Pen
It dependeds where you live where my mum lives in outer London you she goes to he local post office for hers. I get mine in May. I will get mine from the council offices.

Is this a new law that has come out nationally then?

Yes, it is all part of the raising of Pensionable age to 65. All in the small print, the government conveniently 'forgot' to mention. I only found out today because there is an article on shortchanging pensioners in this months Saga Magazine.

This is because they are raising the womens pension age from 60 till 65, my brithday is on the 6 may so I will not get my pension till July.Pension people wrote to me last year.

Gosh they are sneaky aren't they?

OOO! Inspectorgreenpen and I must be twins!
Some of us women have known for years about the changes to pension dates and I've been waiting and waiting for some "..........." to spot the changes. As far as I know 'they' have only just told men that they are going to have to wait for bus passes, heating allowances as well. There should be a table on some gov website telling you when you are eligible. Men will get their passes on the date that a women of the same birthdate gets hers. The difficulty is that the new pension dates are buddled together every few weeks. So I get mine age 60 years 10months & 6 days.
Anyone who can't find the table can pm me - I've got a very old presscutting with the table on tucked away safely.

I have also just had a letter telling me about death benefits- which you have to have had the whole 39 years for -- can't understand the letter or the website. Other half and I have decided we will just have to continue with each other!

It was announced in the news a few weeks ago, and it can be read here -

http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/regional/buses/concessionary/changes/qa

Thanks for all your comments.

I must admit I hadn't picked this up until today, and I'm normally good at sussing out Gordy's devious stealthy tricks.