Bus passes for older or disabled people
If your bus pass is due to expire in March, find out if we need information from you or whether your bus pass will be automatically renewed.
Free off-peak travel on local bus services across England, between 9:30am and 11pm, Monday to Friday and all day at weekends and public holidays.
Find out more about how you can use your pass.
Eligibility
You can get a free older person's bus pass if you are:
- a Kent resident
- a man or a woman who has reached the state pension age for women. Check when you qualify with the pension age calculator on GOV.UK.
You can get a free disabled person's bus pass if you live in Kent and you:
- are blind or partially sighted
- are profoundly or severely deaf
- are without speech
- have a disability or have suffered an injury, which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on your ability to walk
- have no arms or can't use either of your arms
- have a learning disability. Conditions such as ADHD, ASD and mild learning disabilities are not eligible in this category, unless you also have a reduced ability to understand new or complex information, learn new skills and cope independently.
- would be refused a driving licence due to physical fitness (section 92 of the Road Traffic Act 1988). This includes disabilities that would cause someone to be a danger to the public if they drive. For example, dementia, cardiac disorders, severe mental disorders and long term epilepsy. This category is ONLY for people who have been or would be refused a driving licence. If your condition or disability would not result in the DVLA refusing to grant you a driving licence, you are not eligible for a pass under this category. You are not eligible for a free bus pass if your driving licence would be refused due to alcohol or drug misuse or a driving offence which has led to the withdrawal of your driving licence.
If you are disabled and are unable to travel alone, or already have a disabled person's bus pass and now need a companion to travel with you, find out if you are eligible for a disabled person and companion bus pass.
Supporting documents
As part of the online application process you will need to upload:
1. A photo of yourself
You will need a digital photo for your application. A passport-style photo is most appropriate, but not essential. If the photo on your bus pass does not look like you, the bus driver or inspector can refuse to accept it and may confiscate your pass.
2. Proof of address
Choose 1 of the following:
- driving licence
- utility bill from within the last year
- bank or credit card statement from within the last year
- Council Tax bill from within the last year.
You must inform us of any address changes.
If you do not tell us at least 6 weeks before your pass is due to expire, your pass may be sent to your previous address and you will be charged a £10 replacement fee for a pass to be sent to your new address. If you inform another department of your change of address, this does not mean that we will be notified of this change.
3. Proof of eligibility
For older person's bus passes
If you're applying for an older person's bus pass, choose 1 of the following:
- birth certificate (and marriage certificate if your name has changed)
- passport
- driving licence (if you haven't used it for proof of address)
- a letter from the pension service confirming you're eligible for the state pension.
You cannot use the same evidence for proof of address and proof of eligibility, even if the document includes your name and date of birth. We will reject your application if you do not include 2 different supporting documents.
For disabled person's bus passes
All documents should either be recent (within the last 12 months) or should state the expected duration of your condition, or that there is no expected improvement.
You can apply for a disabled person's bus pass, if you:
Provide a copy of one of the following items:
- a Kent Association for the Blind registration card, showing that you are registered as blind or partially sighted
- a letter from an eye specialist confirming that you are blind or partially sighted
- a Personal Independence Payment (PIP) letter with 8 points in the moving around or verbal communication sections
- confirmation that you get the higher rate mobility component of Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
- a War Pensioner’s Mobility Supplement
- your Blue Badge and permission to check your Blue Badge record. Your badge will only be accepted if the disability category for your Blue Badge would also entitle you to an England national concessionary travel scheme (ENCTS) pass. If your Blue Badge was awarded in a category which does not entitle you to an ENCTS pass, it will not be accepted.
Provide a copy of one of the following items:
- a social services registration letter and orange registration card or letter
- or an audiological report from an aural specialist indicating hearing loss has reached 70 to 95 dB HL.
- a Personal Independence Payment (PIP) letter with 8 points in the moving around or verbal communication sections
- confirmation that you get the higher rate mobility component of Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
- a War Pensioner’s Mobility Supplement
- your Blue Badge and permission to check your Blue Badge record. Your badge will only be accepted if the disability category for your Blue Badge would also entitle you to an England national concessionary travel scheme (ENCTS) pass. If your Blue Badge was awarded in a category which does not entitle you to an ENCTS pass, it will not be accepted.
Provide a copy of one of the following items:
- a letter from a specialist doctor, independent health professional or registered medical practitioner confirming that you are unable to make clear, basic oral requests, for example to ask for a particular destination or fare.
- a Personal Independence Payment (PIP) letter with 8 points in the moving around or verbal communication sections
- confirmation that you get the higher rate mobility component of Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
- a War Pensioner’s Mobility Supplement
- your Blue Badge and permission to check your Blue Badge record. Your badge will only be accepted if the disability category for your Blue Badge would also entitle you to an England national concessionary travel scheme (ENCTS) pass. If your Blue Badge was awarded in a category which does not entitle you to an ENCTS pass, it will not be accepted.
Provide a copy of one of the following items:
- a letter from a specialist doctor, independent health professional or registered medical practitioner confirming that you have a disability or have suffered an injury which has a substantial and long-term effect on your ability to walk
- a Personal Independence Payment (PIP) letter with 8 points in the moving around or verbal communication sections
- confirmation that you get the higher rate mobility component of Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
- a War Pensioner’s Mobility Supplement
- your Blue Badge and permission to check your Blue Badge record. Your badge will only be accepted if the disability category for your Blue Badge would also entitle you to an England national concessionary travel scheme (ENCTS) pass. If your Blue Badge was awarded in a category which does not entitle you to an ENCTS pass, it will not be accepted.
Provide a copy of one of the following items:
- a letter from a specialist doctor, independent health professional or registered medical practitioner confirming that you are unable to use your arms to carry out day to day tasks such as paying coins into a fare machine and that this is a long term or permanent condition
- a Personal Independence Payment (PIP) letter with 8 points in the moving around or verbal communication sections
- confirmation that you get the higher rate mobility component of Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
- a War Pensioner’s Mobility Supplement
- your Blue Badge and permission to check your Blue Badge record. Your badge will only be accepted if the disability category for your Blue Badge would also entitle you to an England national concessionary travel scheme (ENCTS) pass. If your Blue Badge was awarded in a category which does not entitle you to an ENCTS pass, it will not be accepted.
Provide a copy of one of the following items:
- a social services registration letter or orange card or letter
- a letter from a specialist doctor, independent health professional or registered medical practitioner, confirming that you have a learning disability. It must also confirm that the disability significantly impairs your intelligence and social function, which reduces your ability to learn new skills, understand new or complex information and cope independently. The disability must have started before adulthood and have a lasting effect on development.
- for children above fare paying age, a letter from the head teacher at their school confirming their eligibility in line with our criteria
- a Personal Independence Payment (PIP) letter with 8 points in the moving around or verbal communication sections
- a PIP letter showing 10 points or more in the planning and following journeys section
- confirmation that you get the higher rate mobility component of Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
- a War Pensioner’s Mobility Supplement
- your Blue Badge and permission to check your Blue Badge record. Your badge will only be accepted if the disability category for your Blue Badge would also entitle you to an England national concessionary travel scheme (ENCTS) pass. If your Blue Badge was awarded in a category which does not entitle you to an ENCTS pass, it will not be accepted.
Provide a copy of one of the following items:
- a letter from the DVLA indicating refusal or withdrawal of your licence for a minimum of 12 months
- a letter from a specialist doctor, independent health professional or registered medical practitioner confirming you are unfit to drive, detailing the reason and the length of time for which you will be unfit to drive
- a Personal Independence Payment (PIP) letter with 8 points in the moving around or verbal communication sections
- confirmation that you get the higher rate mobility component of Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
- a War Pensioner’s Mobility Supplement
- your Blue Badge and permission to check your Blue Badge record. Your badge will only be accepted if the disability category for your Blue Badge would also entitle you to an England national concessionary travel scheme (ENCTS) pass. If your Blue Badge was awarded in a category which does not entitle you to an ENCTS pass, it will not be accepted.
Apply
Applying online is the quickest way to get your free pass as we can start processing your application straight away.
You can apply for your bus pass up to 6 weeks before you reach pension age, but you will not receive it until you have reached the eligible age.
If you live in Medway, you'll need to apply for a bus pass on the Medway Council website.
If you are unable to apply online, there are other options. Find out about the other ways to apply for an older or disabled person's bus pass.
After you apply
Once we have received your application for either a new bus pass or a replacement pass, we will send it to you within 28 days.
If you have not received your pass within 28 days, email buspass@kent.gov.uk or contact your local hub library. Remember to check your junk e-mail folder if you applied online, so that you don’t miss any emails from us. Please note that we cannot control any delays by the postal service.
Find out more about how you can use your pass.