Over 60 rail card

uk1

dzug1 wrote: »

Worth checking yes - but I (a male) have had a bus pass since I was 60 and I don't think the age limit has changed other than in line with the female pension age.

And I don't think it's council policy - it's national

Quite right. I was trying to be helpful but may have not been clear enough.

Some councils allow people to have a Senior Rail Card instead of a bus pass for free. My point - badly stated - was that some councils allow men to have it free - and from the female retirement age. Apolgies for not being clear and confusing the issue.

dggar

uk1 wrote: »

Quite right. I was trying to be helpful but may have not been clear enough.

Some councils allow people to have a Senior Rail Card instead of a bus pass for free. My point - badly stated - was that some councils allow men to have it free - and from the female retirement age. Apolgies for not being clear and confusing the issue.

I Thought the Senior Rail Card was isued by Rail Companies for a cost of £23 per year (£65 for 3 Yrs.)
and councils had to issue the bus pass for free. Are you saying that some councils will purchase a railcard and issue it to people who qualify for a bus pass.

uk1

dggar wrote: »

I Thought the Senior Rail Card was isued by Rail Companies for a cost of £23 per year (£65 for 3 Yrs.)
and councils had to issue the bus pass for free. Are you saying that some councils will purchase a railcard and issue it to people who qualify for a bus pass.

I can only repeat what I said in the post before yours. Our council - this year allows people to choose the railcard instead of the bus pass. It issues a voucher to be exchanged at the station for an annual rail card which I believe is normally £26.00. I've heard that this will stop next year.

Oldernotwiser

I think people have missed the point that the OP is planning to use the card the day before her 60th birthday which isn't allowed. I think that she runs the risk of being made to pay the full fare if it's noticed that it doesn't become valid until the day after she travels.

I wouldn't recommend it.

Ken68

You can get a Senior Railcard from the local council..here it's about £4 cheaper.

alanq

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

I think people have missed the point that the OP is planning to use the card the day before her 60th birthday which isn't allowed. I think that she runs the risk of being made to pay the full fare if it's noticed that it doesn't become valid until the day after she travels.

She would risk far worse than that if a deliberate attempt to evade paying the proper fare were discovered. Fortunately proof of age is required before a Senior Railcard is issued.

Oldernotwiser

alanq wrote: »

She would risk far worse than that if a deliberate attempt to evade paying the proper fare were discovered. Fortunately proof of age is required before a Senior Railcard is issued.

I agree but the OP is asking about buying the railcard in advance and booking on line as a way of getting round the fact of using it before she's eligible for it.

alanq

Ken68 wrote: »

You can get a Senior Railcard from the local council..here it's about £4 cheaper.

That should read "You can get a Senior Railcard from the local council here .. it's about £4 cheaper".

Not all councils offer Senior Railcards and some of those that do so currently will stop doing so from April. (The ones I know of don't actually issue a Railcard just a warrant towards the cost of a Railcard.)

Farway

uk1 wrote: »

It issues a voucher to be exchanged at the station for an annual rail card which I believe is normally £26.00. I've heard that this will stop next year.

I think you will find it stops 1st April, when Hampshire take over the bus pass scheme from the local authorities

uk1

Farway wrote: »

I think you will find it stops 1st April, when Hampshire take over the bus pass scheme from the local authorities

Correct. People up until that date will get just the one year!

Seems really daft. Railcards are cheaper than bus passes and all that will happen is that the people that use to get the rail card will simply get the bus pass instead thus wasting cash.