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About Bus Passes for Older and Disabled People

Information about concessionary fares for eligible residents in West Berkshire, including information about renewing and replacement bus passes

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Service Update 9 November 2022

The council offices are now open, so bus pass applications, requests for replacements, payments by cheque or requests for information about bus passes can be sent in by post or dropped off in person.

All requests will be processed. 

Where possible, please apply for a bus pass in the following ways:

Please note: we are unable to accept applications for a concessionary bus pass without the completed application form.  

You can order a replacement bus pass using our online form.

You can request a renewal of your bus pass using our online form.

Please email any queries to buspass@westberks.gov.uk. We will try and respond as soon as possible.

 

What Is a Free National Off-Peak Bus Pass?

The Free National Off-Peak Bus Pass will allow you to travel, without charge, on any registered local bus service in England at off-peak times (between 9.30am and 11pm, Monday to Friday, and all day on Saturday, Sunday and public holidays).    

Your pass is not valid on:

  • football services
  • long-distance coach services
  • taxis
  • trams
  • trains
  • underground services
  • community car or minibus services
  • journeys in Scotland, Wales or Ireland

Who Is Eligible?

You can find information about each type of bus pass in the sections below. Full details of eligibility for each type of bus pass is given on the application forms.

All applicants must be permanent residents of West Berkshire.

 

Older Person's National Off-Peak Bus Pass

Currently, a person is eligible for a National Off-Peak Bus Pass when they reach their 66th birthday.

To check your state pensionable age, use the calculator on the GOV.UK website or contact the Concessionary Fares Team who can advise.

You can apply for an Older Person's Bus Pass up to three months prior to becoming eligible. The bus pass will get sent out in the post ten days before the eligible date.

How to Apply

You can

Please note: we are unable to accept applications for a bus pass without the completed application form.  

Disabled Person's National Off-Peak Bus Pass

Any person with a disability will be eligible for the Free National Off-Peak Bus Pass if they are at least five years old and in one of the following categories:

  • is blind or partially sighted
     
  • is profoundly or severely deaf
     
  • is without speech, in any language (score of at least eight PIP points against 'communicating verbally')
     
  • has a disability, or has suffered an injury, which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on their ability to walk (score of at least eight PIP points against 'moving around')
     
  • does not have arms or has long-term loss of the use of both arms
     
  • has a learning disability which started before adulthood and qualifies the person for specialist services and special educational provision
     
  • would be refused a licence to drive a motor vehicle on grounds other than persistent misuse of drugs and alcohol

Disability Evidence

The following document outlines the evidence that will be accepted in support of your application.

Medical Forms

If you need your doctor, medical practitioner or specialist to verify your eligibility you will need to arrange for one of the following forms to be completed and attached to your application: 

Please note: during the current coronavirus pandemic, please minimise face-to-face contact with medical professionals when completing the forms. If required, please use email or send completed forms to your doctor, medical practitioners or specialists for validation.

How to Apply

You can

Please note: we are unable to accept applications for a bus pass without the completed application form.  

Renewing Your Bus Pass

Any eligible age, and most disabled person bus passes, that are due for renewal from the 1 April 2021 will only be automatically renewed if the pass has been used on a bus in the eighteen months prior to its expiry date. All automatically renewed bus passes will continue to be sent out in the post shortly before the expiry date.

If you have not used your bus pass in the eighteen months prior to the expiry date of the card and you would still like your pass to be renewed, you can contact the Council in the following ways:

  • Apply online to renew your bus pass
  • email buspass@westberks.gov.uk to ask for a renewal, please include your name, address and bus pass number for identification purposes
  • call the Council's switchboard on 01635 519800 to request a renewal of your bus pass
  • write to the Council asking for your bus pass to be renewed

If your pass has expired, you are entitled to a replacement card for free. 

If you have changed your name or address, please let us know before your renewal date. If you feel your appearance has changed, please supply the Concessionary Fares Team with an updated photograph.

Most disabled bus passes are eligible for automatic renewal, however, some pass holders will be asked to provide evidence to show that they are still eligible for a Disabled Person's Bus Pass. A pass holder will be notified in writing if this applies to them. The pass will not be renewed until the evidence has been supplied and verified by the Concessionary Fares Team.

 

Replacement Bus Passes

If you misplace your bus pass or it becomes damaged, it will cost £16.50 for a replacement. 

If your pass has expired you are entitled to replacement free of charge, please contact the Concessionary Fares Team to ask for a replacement 

If your bus pass has been stolen, the fee will be waived if you can provide a valid crime reference number from a Police Crime Incident Management unit confirming that the pass was stolen (and not lost or misplaced). Upon verification the pass will be replaced without charge.

If the pass no longer works, the Concessionary Fares Team would need to inspect the pass for damage before considering whether the fee can be waived.

There is an electronic chip in the card, so please take care - it may not work if it is bent, comes into contact with water or direct sunlight, or is sat on. 

How to Pay

  • You can apply online for a replacement bus pass
  • Send in a cheque/postal order made payable to West Berkshire Council for £16.50 - please include your name, address and date of birth for identification purposes

Please note: we no longer accept cash payments.

 

Moving Out of West Berkshire

If you have moved out of West Berkshire, please return your bus pass to the council (the address can be found on the back of the pass) and apply for a new bus pass with the local council where you have moved to.

 

Change of Name or Address

Change of Name

If your name has changed, please let us know. We will ask that you provide evidence of your name change.

You can print off the Icon for pdf Concessionary Fares change of details form [255KB] and attach the evidence and then send it into the Council offices or email it to buspass@westberks.gov.uk.

Change of Address

If you have moved address within West Berkshire, please let us know. We will ask that you provide evidence of your new residence in the form of a council tax, utility bill or a driving licence.

You can print off the Icon for pdf Concessionary Fares change of details form [255KB] and attach the evidence and then send it into the Council offices or email it to buspass@westberks.gov.uk.

 

Cancelling a Bus Pass

If a bus pass is no longer needed or an applicant has passed away, please let us know through the Tell Us Once service or by contacting West Berkshire Council directly.

The bus pass will then be cancelled. You can destroy the pass or return it to the postal address on the back of the pass.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

How Do I Use the Bus Pass? 

When boarding the bus, please show the driver your bus pass and state where you want to go. You may be required to place your pass on the scanner of the electronic ticket machine.

Can I get a Companion Bus Pass? 

The Council no longer issues companion bus passes to residents. If you require a companion when using the bus then they would be expected to pay the full fare unless they qualify for a pass themselves.

Can I purchase an "early bird" ticket before 9.30am on weekdays? 

An "early bird" concessionary fare ticket can be purchased before 9.30am on weekdays when showing a valid bus pass on all Newbury and District services and the Jet Black 1 (between Newbury and Colthrop Turn).

If boarding in the urban Newbury and Thatcham zone, it will cost £1.50; if boarding in the rural zone, it will cost £2. Further information can be found on Reading Buses website. 

 This ticket is also available on other services in West Berkshire, further information can be found on the Council's Transport Tickets and Fares page. 

Can I use My Bus Pass in London? 

Your can use your pass on bus services in London. However, the pass will not work on the ticket machine so you should show the pass to the driver when you board. 

Please vist Transport for London's website for more details. 

Can I Use My Pass for Rail Travel?

No, these passes are for bus use only. If you wish to travel by train, discounted travel is offered by National Rail through various Rail Card schemes, including a scheme for seniors (over 60s) and those with disabilities.

Please visit the National Rail Card Schemes website for more details.

Where Can I Find Further Details?

The way that the Concessionary Fares Scheme works is described in full in Icon for pdf West Berkshire's Concessionary Fares Operator Scheme [142KB] .

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