eligible

The age at which you can get a free bus pass can differ greatly depending on where you are based

People across the nation could be in line for additional assistance with their travel expenses, including a bus pass offering free or discounted journeys on local bus services. No matter where you reside in the UK, there is a plethora of schemes designed to make public transport more wallet-friendly, though not everyone will qualify.

Eligibility can vary greatly depending on your location within the UK. For instance, the age at which you can receive a free bus pass can differ significantly if you are located in England, Scotland, or Wales.

Most of the complimentary bus passes nationwide are primarily reserved for the elderly, especially after the government confirmed it will abandon a proposed trial of free bus passes for anyone under 22 in England. As per a BBC report, the government stated that there were no funds available to support the scheme during the current spending review period, which runs until 2028/29.

Continue reading for a comprehensive overview of all the available assistance.

England

In England, pensioners become eligible for a free bus pass when they hit the state pension age of 66, which applies to both men and women. So, if you were born in 1959, you will be able to get your hands on the free bus pass this year.

You can apply for this scheme through your local council under the English National Concessionary Travel Scheme, although the actual name of the bus pass may change depending on where you live.

When applying, you might be asked to provide a passport-style photo as well as a document proving your age and address. However, there is one city in England that has slightly different rules.

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London

Free travel on buses, tubes and other transport is available from the age of 60, but this is only within London. This can be accessed via the 60+ London Oyster photocard which also allows you to get free transport on Transport for London services anytime Monday to Friday, except between 4.30am and 9am.

Further details of free bus travel in England can be found here.

Scotland

In Scotland, once you hit 60, you can get your hands on a National Entitlement Card which gives you free bus travel all over Scotland. However, bear in mind that this Scottish concessionary travel only applies to registered local and long-distance bus services.

So, certain premium-fare services, tours, excursions and group hire services aren’t part of the deal. If you are also between the age of five and 21, you may also be eligible for a National Entitlement Card (NEC) which allows you to access the Young Persons’ Free Bus Travel Scheme.

Further details on free bus travel for older people in Scotland can be found here.. Meanwhile, further details on free bus travel for younger people in Scotland can be found here.

Wales

Within Wales, you may be able to get free travel on buses if you are disabled, aged 60 or over, or an injured service personnel which you can apply for through Transport for Wales. While not free, people aged between 16 and 21 caaan apply for a MyTravelPass which allows them to get up to a third off the cost of bus travel in many circumstances.

Further details of this in Wales can be found here.

Oct. 3 (UPI) — The Trump administration will pay $2,500 to some unaccompanied migrant children ages 14 to 17 years old to self-deport from the United States to their home countries.

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Friday confirmed to Politico and The Washington Post that the agency, along with the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Refugees and Resettlement, are offering the “strictly voluntary” program.

It is called the “Family Assistance Reintegration,” and money will be given after an immigration judge grants their request. Those first offered will be 17-year-olds.

DHS is touting the plan as a way to help children return to their families.

“Many of these had no choice when they were dangerously smuggled into this country,” DHS posted on X. “ICE and the Office of Refugee and Resettlement at HHS are offering a strictly voluntary option to return home to their families.”

The payment will be offered to those who came to the U.S. by themself. They are in detention centers or placed with sponsor relatives or foster families.

Shelters were asked on Friday to notify the teens.

They will receive the payment in exchange for waiving their rights to pursue immigration relief as part of a law that protects victims of human trafficking and smuggling.

Under federal law, they can apply for protection, including asylum or a special visa for neglected or abandoned children. Those proceedings can take several years.

Immigration advocates and lawyers dispute calling the new program voluntary because some children may be scared into self-deporting.

An official with the American Immigration Council said U.S. authorities could threaten to arrest the person’s family with trafficking their children or threaten them with deportation once they turn 18.

“Those financial incentives have often been coercive, and they’ve often been presented as the only way for people to avoid punitive and terrorizing consequences even if they have legitimate claims to legal status in the United States,” said Nayna Gupta, policy director at the American Immigration Council advocacy group in Washington, told Politico. “Does failure to take the money and return to a place you fled mean that you will be detained once you age out of the unaccompanied minors status?”

“Safe voluntary departure requires legal counsel — not government marketing or what amounts to cash bribes for kids,” Melissa Adamson, senior attorney at the National Center for Youth Law told The Washington Post. “This administration’s actions again prove it cannot be trusted to protect children.”

The new program is being called Freaky Friday by opponents.

An ICE spokesperson told Politico that critics are trying to “instill fear and spread misinformation that drives the increased violence occurring against federal law enforcement.”

When Joe Biden was president, tens of thousands of unaccompanied children reached the United States, at times with the help of smugglers.

The Biden and Trump administrations have attempted to reduce the number of children in the custody of the HHS. The number in custody since Trump became president is lower with 2,000 minors in shelters in August.

When Trump was first president, more than 4,000 migrant children were separated from their parents after they crossed the border illegally.

CHELSEA forward Marc Guiu has been named as eligible for the EFL Cup thanks to a little-known rule change.

The teenager spent a short-lived spell with Sunderland on loan earlier this season but was recalled before the transfer deadline.

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He scored for the Black Cats in their EFL Cup exit to Huddersfield while with the club, an appearance that was believed to have made him ineligible for future EFL cup games this season.

However, a rule change for the 2025/26 season changed the laws to allow a player to turn out for two different clubs in the same campaign.

But Chelsea themselves were reportedly not aware that the Spaniard was able to play in their cup match with Lincoln City on Tuesday, and he has been left out of the squad.

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MILLIONS of struggling households on Universal Credit could be missing out on discounted broadband worth up to £200.

Social tariffs are offered to those on Universal Credit and other government benefits such as Pension Credit.

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And it can help you save hundreds of pounds a year compared to the standard deals.

Not only that, but they often come with no exit fees, although you should always check the terms and conditions carefully.

It comes after fresh analysis by Policy in Practice shows that there was over 7.5million missed claims for the tariffs.

And the average household is missing out on £200 a year.

It means you can get access to broadband at a discounted price, which can help if you are struggling with other costs.

For example, 4th Utility social tariffs offers a broadband for £13.99 a month.

Meanwhile, BT offers a Home Essentials package for those on Universal Credit and the guaranteed element of Pension Credit.

And those Employment and Support Allowance, Jobseeker’s Allowance and Income Support can also apply.

You’ll need to provide some personal information when you apply, including your National Insurance Number, so we can check that you’re eligible.

Community Fibre also offers an essentials package that costs just £12.50 a month.

Meanwhile, EE also offers a £12 monthly sim deal, for those on claiming Universal Credit.

The group will ill carry out an eligibility check every 12 months to see if you still meet the criteria to get the discounted deal.

How to get the best deal

Like with any offer, it is worth shopping around to ensure you are getting the best deal.

The regulator Ofcom has a list on its website of all the firms offering social broadband and mobile phone tariffs.

The list can be found here – www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-and-broadband/saving-money/social-tariffs.

It’s worth scanning the list to find the package that best suits your needs.

You can also compare deals via comparison sites like Uswitch.

What other support can I get

If you claim Universal Credit you could be missing out on extra support, such as discounts to your council tax bill.

The support is given out by local councils in England, so how much is cut will depend on where you live, your income, dependants and other benefits.

You can find out if you’re eligible by visiting gov.uk/apply-council-tax-reduction.

Households can also get access to free school meals, and school uniform grants which can be worth up to £300.

During the winter, claiming benefits such as Universal Credit can also make you eligible for the warm home discount scheme.

This is a £150 discount on your electricity bill to help tackle rising costs during the winter.

Ford

Full list of EVs eligible for the £1,500 discount