(08 Jan 2015, 8:51 am)Greg in Weardale wrote Age for OAP concession passes is gradually rising to 66 as the womens' pension age rises from 60 to 66 in about 2016, when new style pensions start. At the moment men and women are eligible for a pass at about age 63, the age of eligibility going up every six months or so. I think people with concession passes should pay 50p per journey all day or a £2 all day ticket. That would not be too unreasonable and would ease the cost to councils, but it is unfair that the government doesn't fully reimburse councils for what they pay bus companies for passes. This means that the councils are cutting what they pay companies for accepting them and also that, in addition to the vast cuts to government funding for local authorities, the councils have even less money to subsidise essential bus services. Hence the cuts which, especially in rural areas, are causing unacceptable deprivation and drastically affecting peoples' lives. Many places in Cumbria now have no public transport and more unreasonable cuts in government funding to local authority grants are on the way so more subsidised services in the North East will undoubtedly be under threat. The level of government cuts to our councils is grossly unfair when some councils in the southern Tory heartlands have actually had their funding increased. This government must go, but I don't know that Labour proposals will make thiings better in the short term.

I can confirm this. I am 60 and cannot have a bus pass because it is allied to the new pension scheme.

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(08 Jan 2015, 8:51 am)Greg in Weardale wrote Age for OAP concession passes is gradually rising to 66 as the womens' pension age rises from 60 to 66 in about 2016, when new style pensions start. At the moment men and women are eligible for a pass at about age 63, the age of eligibility going up every six months or so. I think people with concession passes should pay 50p per journey all day or a £2 all day ticket. That would not be too unreasonable and would ease the cost to councils, but it is unfair that the government doesn't fully reimburse councils for what they pay bus companies for passes. This means that the councils are cutting what they pay companies for accepting them and also that, in addition to the vast cuts to government funding for local authorities, the councils have even less money to subsidise essential bus services. Hence the cuts which, especially in rural areas, are causing unacceptable deprivation and drastically affecting peoples' lives. Many places in Cumbria now have no public transport and more unreasonable cuts in government funding to local authority grants are on the way so more subsidised services in the North East will undoubtedly be under threat. The level of government cuts to our councils is grossly unfair when some councils in the southern Tory heartlands have actually had their funding increased. This government must go, but I don't know that Labour proposals will make thiings better in the short term.

I can confirm this. I am 60 and cannot have a bus pass because it is allied to the new pension scheme.