Menu Home Search

This page is used with kind permission by Wessex LMCs

Certification - Bus Pass

Updated on Thursday, 14 September 2023, 401 views

Certification - Bus Pass

In England, individuals can apply for a bus pass for free travel when they reach the female state pension age, whether they are male or female. The "eligible disabled"  (as described in the list below) may also apply for a pass, and patients may attend with forms for the doctor to sign to prove eligibility. This is a poor use of NHS resources when there are many other ways of proving eligibility without using GP time and resources.

There is no obligation to sign these forms

If you do so, you may charge a reasonable fee

We have provide the following templates which we hope you find useful:

letter to your patient

letter to the bus company

(Our thanks to Dr Terry and partners in Southampton for letting us use their letters to design these templates.)

The Government Department of Transport recommendation to Local Authorities is that GPs should not be used to verify claims and ideally the Local Authority should set up assessment centres for people seeking concessionary passes who do not have other methods of proving disability (such as receipt of invalidity benefit, ownership of a blue badge, etc)

(see sections 24- 26 of this document  Guidance to local authorities on assessing eligibility of disabled people in England for concessionary bus travel (publishing.service.gov.uk)

 Eligible Disabled Criteria listed on the government website is as follows:

In England, individuals can apply for a bus pass for free travel when they reach their state pension age (60 in London and Wales). The "eligible disabled" (as described in the list below) may also apply for a pass, and patients may attend with forms for the doctor to sign to prove eligibility. This is a poor use of NHS resources when there are many other ways of proving eligibility without using GP time and resources.

We have provided the following templates which we hope you find useful:

(Our thanks to Dr Terry and partners in Southampton for letting us use their letters to design these templates.)

The Government Department of Transport recommendation to Local Authorities is that GPs should not be used to verify claims and ideally the Local Authority should set up assessment centres for people seeking concessionary passes who do not have other methods of proving disability (such as receipt of invalidity benefit, ownership of a blue badge, etc)

(see Guidance to Local Authorities on assessing eligibility of disabled people in England for concessionary bus travel)

Eligible Disabled Criteria listed on the government website is as follows:

Related guidance...

Bus Pass

In England, individuals can apply for a bus pass for free travel when they reach the female state pension age, whether they are male or...

Certification – Concessionary Travel for the Disabled

People of state pensionable age are entitled to a pass which entitles them to free travel on local buses anywhere in England. This...

Blue Badge Scheme

Somerset County Council Customer Contact Services took over the Blue Badge concessionary car parking service in April 2018. A spokesman...

European Medical Directory

Med1web forms and The European Medical Directory A number of GPs have in the past completed and signed a Med1web form from NovaChannel...

Somerset LMC Weekly Update Friday 30th June 2017

All Somerset GPs and Practice Managers This and previous updates can be found here Somerset GP Board PCSE...

Somerset LMC Weekly Update Friday 10th August 2018

All Somerset GPs and Practice Managers This and previous updates can be found here Children and Adults Safeguarding...

New framework set to simplify care information for disabled patients and their carers

Disabled patients are set to benefit from improved healthcare after a new law comes into force to ensure information they receive is...

Universal credit and NHS Prescription Charges: there is no box to tick on the back of an FP10 for Universal Credit.

Universal Credit is a single system of means-tested support for working-age people both in and out of work. This is intended to replace...

Somerset LMC Weekly Update Friday 24th February 2023

Sent to all Somerset GPs and Practice Managers This and previous updates are available here Hello from the new LMC Chairman Dr...

Duration of Prescriptions and 7 Day Prescribing

This is a recurrent issue and something that we are contacted about at the LMC on a regular basis with GPs and practices asking whether...