The National Concessionary Travel pass
If you qualify for a state pension, and are permanently resident in Greater Manchester you qualify for a National Concessionary Travel pass from Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM).
The TfGM National Concessionary Travel pass gives you free bus journeys in England, and on Greater Manchester trams and trains.
Do you qualify?
To get a concessionary pass from TfGM you must:
- live in Greater Manchester, (if you live outside Greater Manchester apply for a pass in your own area but passes issued by other areas are not valid on rail and Metrolink in Greater Manchester); and qualify for a state pension. It doesn't matter if you are taking the pension or not, or whether you work or not.
The age you qualify for a state pension isn't the same for everyone. You may need to be up to 66 to qualify depending on when you were born. If you're not sure, check your state pension age.
Costs and benefits
The pass is free, and lasts for five years.
It gives you free travel on:
Buses
Travel free on local buses anywhere in England between 9.30am and 11pm (up to midnight in Greater Manchester and some neighbouring towns), Monday to Friday, and all day at weekends and on public holidays.
Outside these times, you must pay the full adult fare.
Trams and trains
Travel free on Metrolink trams and Greater Manchester trains between 9.30am and midnight Monday to Friday, and all day at weekends and on public holidays.
Outside these times, you must pay the full adult fare.
Apply for a pass
Get an application form from a TfGM Travelshop.
If you are eligible complete the relevant form and attach:
- a passport-sized colour photograph of yourself
- proof of age – birth certificate, medical card, passport or driving licence
- proof of your address – a utility bill , local council tax bill or Department for Work and Pensions letter dated in the last 12 months.
- Please do not send original documents.
You can take your form and proof to a Travelshop to check or post your documents to the FREEPOST address on the application form.
Renew your pass
At least two weeks before your English National Concessionary Travel pass expires, we will contact you about renewing your pass or, if we don’t need to check anything with you, we will send you a new pass.
If you have received a letter from TfGM containing a renewal code, you can renew your pass online.
If you change address it is your responsibility to inform TfGM. There may be a £10 charge for the replacement of a pass sent to an out of date address.
If you lose your pass
If you lose your pass there is a £10 charge for replacing a lost, stolen or damaged card. You can pay by card over the phone.
Call TfGM on 0161 244 1050 to make a card payment (7am to 8pm Monday to Friday and 8am to 8pm at weekends and public holidays).
Visit a Travelshop to order and pay for a replacement pass.
