Older person's

The age at which you become eligible for a English National Concession bus pass is changing. 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.

The state pension age for women is rising by five years over a period of ten years. The age of eligibility will rise incrementally, that is, in stages, between 2010 and 2020. The earliest age for men and women to get bus passes will therefore rise gradually. The Government decided that this would be the fairest method, rather than introduce a one-off rise which would leave those currently close to retirement age facing a full five-year delay.

Start your application

The table below shows the date on which you become eligible for a bus pass and the earliest date on which you can apply for your NoWcard, based on your date of birth.

Date of birth	Date eligible for a national concession bus pass	Earliest date of application
6th October 1954 to 5th April 1960	66th birthday	2 weeks before your birthday
6th April 1960 – 5th May 1960	66 years and 1 month	2 weeks before
6th May 1960 – 5th June 1960	66 years and 2 months	2 weeks before
6th June 1960 – 5th July 1960	66 years and 3 months	2 weeks before
6th July 1960 – 5th August 1960	66 years and 4 months	2 weeks before
6th August 1960 – 5th September 1960	66 years and 5 months	2 weeks before
6th September 1960 – 5th October 1960	66 years and 6 months	2 weeks before
6th October 1960 – 5th November 1960	66 years and 7 months	2 weeks before
6th November 1960 – 5th December 1960	66 years and 8 months	2 weeks before
6th December 1960 – 5th January 1961	66 years and 9 months	2 weeks before
6th January 1961 – 5th February 1961	66 years and 10 months	2 weeks before
6th February 1961 – 5th March 1961	66 years and 11 months	2 weeks before
6th March 1961 – 5th April 1977	67th birthday	2 weeks before your birthday