Freedom Pass Campaign 2026
** Campaign Update **
On Thursday 18th June we had a massive win in our fight to protect the Freedom pass.
We visited the offices of London Councils with a group of campaigners along with our friends from Unite Community (London and Eastern), to hand in the open letter which had been co-signed by you and over 10,000 people. The letter was also co-signed by 29 other charities and partners including all the Age UKs in London. Our sincere thanks to you for your support.
As a result, London Councils have made the following statement:
“No changes are planned to the Freedom Pass. The provision and scope of the Freedom Pass are set out in national legislation.
“All 32 London boroughs and the City of London Corporation fund and deliver the Freedom Pass scheme which enables London residents over the age of 66 to travel free on all public transport modes in the capital.
“We welcome Age UK London’s visit to London Councils’ headquarters and recognise the vital work it undertakes to secure a high quality of life for older residents across the capital. We will continue to work closely with Age UK London as a trusted partner to ensure London local government meets the needs of older residents.”
We are pleased to say that this time London Councils have listened.
While this fight is over for now, we know that for many, the Freedom Pass and 60+ Oyster is far more than a travel concession, it is a lifeline. We will continue to monitor any moves that may happen to scale back these travel concessions, which are so important to quality-of-life for so many older Londoners, and we will do all we can to continue to ensure that they are protected now and in the future. In two weeks, we will be at City Hall where we expect the whole London Assembly to show their support.
Thank you - for your support - this fight is over for now, but we are not complacent and still have a lot more campaign work to do.
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Freedom Pass Review In January 2026 the media reported that London Councils (a cross-party organisation that represents all of London's 32 borough councils and the Corporation of the City of London) were planning to review the Freedom Pass. They say it was costing councils £324m at a time when all local authorities 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 affordable travel for older Londoners which is a lifeline for many. The Freedom Pass and 60+ Oyster allows older Londoners to work, volunteer, see family and friends and socialise, care for family and grandchildren and much more. On 14 January 2026 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 mooted 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
** THIS IS NOW CLOSED **
We are deeply concerned about the announcement that London Councils will conduct a proposed 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 highlights 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.