The Sun, on UK Politics, 7 November 2026

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Free bus passes DELAYED for thousands of people in England after law change

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Comment now Next THOUSANDS of bus users are being forced to wait longer for a free bus pass following a law change. A rise in the pension age has triggered a delay for many people in England who were hoping to get their hands on the freebie. Free bus passes have been delayed for thousands of travellers across England Under previous rules issued by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), the state pension age sat at 66. Advertisement However, this is in the process of changing as the age threshold rises to 67, affecting thousands of bus users who are now no longer eligible.

Sign up for the Money newsletter Thank you! Email address Please provide a valid email. Your info will be used in accordance with our Privacy Policy You'll now receive top stories, breaking news, and more, straight to your email. Free bus passes are issued in line with the state pension age, currently meaning anyone who turned 66 before April 2026 is able to claim the pass. Those whose birthdays fall after the cut-off date .

Read more in money WAIT FOR IT Why England is raising the free bus pass age for pensioners to 67 PAW AND ORDER All the new rules kicking in across UK today including new XL Bully law The age change will particularly affect those born between April 6, 1960 and April 5, 1961, who have been forced to delay claiming their passes. As the state pension changes are introduced gradually, the next increase affects those with birthdays between November 6 and December 5, 1960.

They must now wait until they are 66 years and eight months old to claim the freebie. Anyone born from March 6, 1961 will have to wait until they are 67 to qualify for a free bus pass. Most read in Money HOME & SEEK Bungalow goes on the market for £250k - but buyers spot bizarre feature in pics CHRISTMAS MAGIC National Lottery shows tear-jerking Christmas ad & reveals festive jackpots JOBS ARMY Major UK employer offering 40 apprenticeships starting next year - how to apply RETAIL PAIN Poundland bosses face closed-door Parliament grilling as rivals eye store deals These changes only affect those who live outside of London in England .

Advertisement Residents living in London , Scotland, Wales and the North of Ireland currently enjoy the benefit of a free bus pass from the age of 60. A spokesperson for the Department for Transport told The Sun: “We fully recognise bus passes are vital to many older people, providing access to essential services and keeping people connected through free local travel. “We’re already in the process of making ambitious reforms to improve bus services for all passengers and supporting local areas to improve reliability and affordability.”

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What we found (1)

The Sun reports that the rise in the state pension age from 66 to 67 is pushing back when people in England outside London can claim a free bus pass, and it gives the birth-date bands affected. One sentence tells readers that people past the cut-off must wait another year, which the article's own phased dates contradict for many of them. Nothing else in the piece misleads.

  1. Uses figures that mislead

    Minor

    “must wait another year to receive their permits”

    Why this matters
    The words "must wait another year" give one flat delay for everyone whose birthday falls after the cut-off.
    The impression it gives
    A reader believes that anyone born after the cut-off faces a full extra year before getting a pass.
    The context
    The article itself says the rise is phased. Some people qualify at 66 years and eight months, and only those born from 6 March 1961 wait until 67. For many readers the delay is shorter than a year.

    How we know

    • Elsewhere in the article“They must now wait until they are 66 years and eight months old to claim the freebie.”
    • Elsewhere in the article“Anyone born from March 6, 1961 will have to wait until they are 67”

    Show it in the article

What it gets right

  • “the next increase affects those with birthdays between November 6 and December 5, 1960”

    It gives readers the exact birth-date band affected by the next step, so they can check their own position.

  • “These changes only affect those who live outside of London in England”

    It states the geographic limit of the change plainly, so readers in London and the devolved nations are not misled.

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