Freedom Pass Campaign 2026
In January 2026 the media reported that London Councils were planning to review the Freedom Pass which was costing councils £324m at a time when councils were struggling to cover costs.
Age UK London are opposed to any cuts or changes to the Freedom Pass and have vowed to campaign to protect the Freedom Pass.
On 14 January London Councils Labour Group announced that they would block any review and this was backed by Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan. You can read the story here.
Age UK London released the following statement in response to this news.
We are pleased to see that London Councils Labour Group backed by the Mayor have blocked the threat to the Freedom Pass, but this doesn’t mean the review will go away. It’s a shame that this could not have happened before London Councils muted that a review would happen, starting a tidal wave of concern and anxiety for thousands of older Londoners for whom the Freedom Pass is a lifeline.
With a council election coming up London councillors will want to tread carefully on this issue, but we suspect that this is not going away and that clearly the Freedom Pass will continue to be scrutinised. We know older Londoners will continue to stand up to any changes being made whether its now or in the months and years to come.
Response to Review
Read Age UK London's response to the announcement that London Councils will review the Freedom Pass.
Co-sign our open letter
We are deeply concerned about the announcement that London Councils will conduct a review into the future of the Freedom Pass in London. The Freedom Pass is a significant contributor to quality of life for so many older Londoners.
This announcement has caused a great deal of anxiety for Freedom Pass holders for whom this travel concession is a lifeline. We would like to express our strong opposition to any changes that could cut or scale back on the Freedom Pass and are sending an open letter to London Councils.
Please show your support and co-sign the letter which higlights the concerns we have to any changes made to the Freedom Pass.
Campaigning for affordable travel since the pandemic
Age UK London has been campaigning to protect the Freedom Pass and 60+ Oyster since after the pandemic when restictions were imposed stopping travel before 9am on buses and the underground and on trains before 9.30am.
Find out more about our campaigning to protect affordable travel.
Donate to our campaign
If you support our campaigns and would like to donate to help us continue our work you can donate here. Thank you.