Freedom Pass holders across London have been issued an urgent warning ahead of an "important" online upgrade starting this month. People with the free travel pass will be unable to request a replacement or update their details between 5pm on Monday, August 31 and Tuesday, September 15 while the portal is being improved. It will also impact people applying to get a card for the first time.
What is the Freedom Pass and who is eligible?
The Older Person's Freedom Pass allows anyone aged 66 and above who lives in London to travel for free on Transport for London (TfL) services after 9am weekdays and at any time during weekends and bank holidays. The Disabled Person's Freedom Pass provides complimentary travel on TfL services at all times. Existing passes will work as normal throughout the upgrade while eligibility will not change once the new system is introduced.
London Councils, the cross-capital collective of all 32 boroughs which runs the scheme, said the upgrade will make it easier and faster for residents to apply online, track the progress of their application, and strengthen the online system's security. In 2024 two teenagers hacked into TfL's online network causing £29million in "catastrophic damage", the authority said in court. Personal data on Oyster cards was leaked while all of TfL's 27,000 employees were forced to attend an office in person to reset their passwords.
What happens during the closure?
Londoners unable to apply for a Freedom Pass before the temporary closure will be able to once the service reopens on Tuesday, September 15. Paper application forms sent during the closure will be prioritised once processing resumes.
Cllr Paul Osborn, London Councils' executive member for transport and environment, said: "We'd like to thank Londoners for their patience and understanding while we carry out this important upgrade. The changes will help us deliver a more resilient service in the future, while ensuring customer records are transferred safely and securely. I'd like to reassure customers that existing Freedom Passes will continue to work as normal – no one is losing their entitlement. If you're unable to apply before the portal closes, you'll still be able to apply when the service reopens on Tuesday September 15."
Who is eligible for a Freedom Pass?
Londoners aged 66 and over are eligible for an Older Person's Freedom Pass. Customers moving from the 60+ Oyster card have been warned that passes no longer automatically transfer into a Freedom Pass, and that anyone reaching State Pension age will need to submit an online application.
To qualify for a Disabled Person's Freedom Pass, you must live in a London borough and have an eligible disability. Eligible disabilities include: people who are blind or partially sighted; people who are profoundly or severely deaf; people without speech; people who have a disability, or have suffered an injury, which has left them with a substantial and long-term adverse effect on their ability to walk; people who do not have arms or have a long-term loss of the use of both arms; people who have a learning disability that is defined by TfL as 'a state of arrested or incomplete development of mind which includes significant impairment of intelligence and social functioning'; and people who, if they applied for the grant of a licence to drive a motor vehicle under Part III of the Road Traffic Act 1988, would have their application refused pursuant to section 92 of the Act (physical fitness) otherwise than on the ground of persistent misuse of drugs or alcohol.
Under exceptional circumstances London boroughs possess the authority to issue Freedom Passes to disabled people who don't satisfy one of the statutory eligibility criteria. The upgrade aims to improve cybersecurity and user experience, with existing passes remaining valid and no changes to eligibility. Paper applications will be prioritised after the system reopens.
