Index of information on this page

• 1. Qualifying for a pass
• 2. Applying for a pass
• 3. Replacing a lost, damaged or stolen pass
• 4. Renewing a pass that has expired or is due to expire
• 5. Using your pass – Northumberland
• 6. Using your pass -elsewhere
• 7. Other travel concessions on local buses
• 8. Taxi token scheme
• 9. Statutory notice
• 10. Queries
• Application Forms

1. Qualifying for a pass

Two groups of people qualify for a concessionary bus pass: eligible older people and disabled people.

Eligible older people means:

• Anyone born before 6th April 1950 (men and women);
• If you are a woman born after 5th April 1950 you become eligible when you reach the age of eligibility for state pension;
• If you are a man born after 5th April 1950, you become eligible when you reach the pensionable age of a woman born on the same day.

To check whether you are an eligible older person, click here to see the government's age calculator or phone 0800 731 7898.

Disabled people means anyone who meets any of the criteria shown on the Guidance Notes for the Disabled Person’s pass – see Section 2 below.

2. Applying for a pass

If you want to apply for a new pass, you can apply by post at Concessionary Travel, Passenger Transport Unit, Northumberland County Council, County Hall, Morpeth NE61 2EF.  Alternatively you can apply in person at one of our Information Centres.  You can also call our customer services team on 0845 600 6400 for more information - your call is charged at local rate.  Click on this link for the addresses of our Information Centres.

If you are shortly to reach the age when you become eligible for an Older Person’s pass but have not yet done so, you can apply in advance, but please do not apply more than a month in advance; we will keep your application on file as we cannot issue a pass until you become eligible.

If you are unable to travel alone, you can apply for a Companion Pass.  This enables a friend, relation or carer of your choice to travel with you.  You will need certification to show you are unable to travel alone, and the application form (see below) shows you how to apply.

Please note the following important points:

1. Receipt of your application does not automatically mean we must issue you with a pass.  If your application is incomplete or unclear, or omits the necessary supporting evidence, we will have to contact you.  This will result in your application being delayed.
2. We aim to send out bus passes within 15 working days of receiving a valid application.  This means one that demonstrates that you are eligible, is fully and properly completed, has all the necessary supporting evidence and has nothing else that we need to query.

 Application forms and Guidance notes

Click here for guidance notes for the older person's pass

Click here for the form for an older person's pass

Click here for guidance notes for the disabled person's pass

Click here for the form for a disabled person's pass

Click here for the form and guidance notes for a companion pass

Click here for the form for a replacement pass

3. Replacing a lost, damaged or stolen pass

If you have lost or damaged your concessionary bus pass, you can apply for a replacement from where you obtained the original pass.  The charge for a replacement pass is £15, unless you have had your pass stolen and can provide a Crime Number, in which case replacement is free.

If your pass does not work on the Smartcard reader when you get on the bus, but there is no obvious sign of damage, you can have a free replacement pass.  All you need to do is take the defective pass to an Information Centre and show it to the staff there who will do the rest.

For a form to apply for a replacement pass, see Section 2 above.

4. Renewing an existing pass that has expired or is due to expire:

If the pass was issued by Northumberland County Council, you should do one of the following

1. If you have an older person’s pass, take the pass and evidence you are still at the same address to one of our Information Centres.

1. If you have a disabled person’s pass, take the pass and evidence that you are still at the same address and that you are still disabled to one of our Information Centres.  The evidence that you are still disabled is outlined in the Guidance Notes for a Disabled Person’s or Companion Bus Pass – see Section 2 above

1. If you have moved, take evidence that your new address is still in Northumberland and (if you are applying for a disabled person’s or companion pass, evidence that you are still disabled) to one of our Information Centres.

You need to do this as soon as possible at least four weeks before the expiry date so we can issue you with a new one. We aim to send passes out within 15 working days

If you have moved to Northumberland but still have a pass from where you used to live, you should apply for a new pass straightaway.  Full details are available by ringing Northumberland County Council on 0845 600 6400.

5. Using your pass - Northumberland

In Northumberland the scheme is operated by Northumberland County Council.

The scheme is free and easy to use, once you have your pass.  You can nip into town more often, or explore new places.  Just check the bus times and let someone else do the driving.  Travel for free and go further by bus!

For bus journeys starting in Northumberland, the Council has extended the times when passes are valid as follows:

• Holders of Older people’s passes can travel all day from 9.00 am on Mondays to Fridays (with no evening time restriction) and all day Saturdays, Sundays and bank holidays
• Holders of Disabled people’s and Companion passes can travel free all day any day.

6. Using your pass - elsewhere

The national scheme entitles pass holders to free travel on any off-peak local bus in England.  The definition of a local bus may include some tour buses and the element of any long-distance coach service that is registered as a local bus service – if you are in doubt you should check with the bus operator.

The national scheme offers free local bus travel for those eligible from 9.30 am until 11 pm on Mondays to Fridays, and all day Saturdays, Sundays and bank holidays

You cannot use the pass on the Metro system in Tyne and Wear or on local train services.  Residents of Northumberland who hold a valid concessionary bus pass can also purchase a Nexus Gold Card which allows free off-peak travel on the Metro system.  The Gold Card costs £35 for a year's travel and can be bought from Nexus Travelshops.  See the Nexus website for more details.

Concessionary passes issued by English authorities are not available for use in Scotland.  However holders of English passes are able to travel on parts of some cross-border routes from Northumberland, provided the journey starts or ends in England.  For details refer to the Guidance Notes below.  Passes issued in Scotland are not generally available for use on buses in England, but the Scottish authority may offer travel on sections of route in Northumberland on cross-border routes.  If you have a pass issued in Scotland, contact your local authority for details.

7.Other travel concessions on local buses

Some local bus operators in Northumberland offer concessionary fares without direct involvement from the local authorities.  Examples are Arriva's Teen Card and Go North East's Get-Around schemes for young people and students.  For more details look at the Arriva or the Go North East website.  Other bus operators in Northumberland may offer concessions in addition.

8. Taxi Token Scheme – Northumberland

Northumberland County Council provides a concessionary taxi token scheme for eligible residents across the county.  The scheme offers tokens to the value of £50 for a cost of £10, and you use them like cash for journeys by taxi to cover the cost of all or part of the fare.

To qualify for the scheme you need to show that you can fulfill all of the following criteria:

• You live in Northumberland;
• You are disabled, and are unable to use public transport because of your disabilty;
• There is no car or van in your household;
• You are in receipt of certain means-tested benefits, as listed on page 3 of the guidance notes.

You can apply at any time throughout the year, but you can receive only one allocation of tokens in the period 1st April 2013 to 31st March 2014.

To see the full guidance notes for the scheme, click here.

To download the application form for taxi tokens, click here.

Your Taxi Token application form only covers the period up to the following 31st March. If you want to receive Taxi Tokens after that you must contact us for a new application form. These will not be sent out automatically.

Please note that there are some parts of Northumberland, particularly around Berwick, where no local taxi firms accept tokens.  Before you apply for tokens, we strongly recommend that you check the attached list of taxi firms to make sure there is one in your area that does accept tokens.  Once you apply for tokens, we regret that we cannot refund the cost in any circumstances.

For a list of the participating taxi operators, click here.

If after reading these documents you need any further information or have any questions, please call into one of our Information Centres or call Customer Services on 0845 600 6400.

9. Statutory Notice

We have published a Statutory Notice for bus operators in Northumberland who participate in the scheme.  This is our Notification of Arrangement for Concessionary Travel Scheme for April 2013. 

To see the Statutory Notice click here.

10. Queries

 If you have further enquiries about concessionary travel in Northumberland, you can contact us by sending an email to ConcessionaryTravel@northumberland.gov.uk .

This page was last updated on 14th May 2013