Andy Burnham Bus Pass Funding: What The £60 Million Plan Means?

The government has announced £60 million to remove national time restrictions from disabled bus passes in England.

From 1 April 2027, eligible disabled pass holders are scheduled to be able to use qualifying local buses free of charge at any time of day, rather than being limited nationally to 9.30 am to 11 pm on weekdays.

The funding consists of £40 million from the Department for Work and Pensions and £20 million from the Department for Transport, using existing departmental budgets.

The change is intended to make early-morning and late-evening travel easier for people travelling to work, education, healthcare and other activities.

What Has Andy Burnham Announced About Disabled Bus Passes?

Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced in August 2026 that the government intends to remove the national weekday time restriction applying to disabled concessionary bus passes in England.

Under the current statutory arrangement, disabled bus passes are generally valid between 9.30am and 11pm from Monday to Friday, with unrestricted use at weekends and on public holidays.

Councils can already choose to provide more generous local concessions.

From 1 April 2027, the government says eligible disabled pass holders will be able to travel on qualifying buses regardless of the time of day.

The change particularly matters to people who need to travel before 9.30am for work, medical appointments, education or training.

It may also help people working evening or irregular shifts who currently face additional travel costs outside the statutory concessionary period.

The announcement does not mean that every concessionary bus pass in England will become unrestricted. The national change specifically concerns eligible disabled person’s bus passes.

How Is The £60 Million Bus Pass Plan Funded?

The Andy Burnham bus pass funding package totals £60 million.

The government says the money will come from existing departmental budgets rather than being presented as a completely separate new spending allocation.

Funding Source	Contribution
Department For Work And Pensions	£40 Million
Department For Transport	£20 Million
Total	£60 Million

The DWP contribution accounts for two-thirds of the announced funding, while the Department for Transport will provide the remaining £20 million.

Local authorities currently administer disabled bus passes and assess applications against statutory eligibility criteria. Bus operators are generally reimbursed through concessionary travel arrangements for carrying eligible passengers.

This means the policy is different from simply giving £60 million directly to passengers. The funding supports the operation of the expanded concession so eligible passengers can make qualifying journeys without paying the normal bus fare.

Is the £60 Million Funding One-Off Or Ongoing?

This is one of the most important details behind the announcement.

The government’s August press release confirms the £60 million package and its departmental sources, but does not describe it simply as a short-term payment ending after the first year.

The Guardian reported, citing government sources, that the funding has no specified expiry date and is not intended to be a one-off allocation.

That does not mean the funding can never be changed by a future government or spending decision. Budgets and transport policies can be reviewed.

The practical point for passengers is that the April 2027 change has been presented as a change to the national concessionary arrangement rather than a temporary promotion lasting only for a limited trial period.

When Will 24-Hour Free Bus Travel Start?

The government has set 1 April 2027 as the intended start date for unrestricted use of eligible disabled bus passes in England. That date was repeated in a Department for Transport parliamentary answer on 9 September 2026.

Until then, the existing national rules continue.

Someone holding a disabled bus pass should therefore not assume that the August 2026 announcement immediately gives them free early-morning travel.

Local arrangements remain important before April 2027 because some authorities already allow disabled passengers to use their passes before 9.30am or after 11pm.

The Guardian reported when the measure was announced that implementation would require parliamentary approval and that the period before April 2027 would give transport authorities time to prepare.

Passengers should therefore continue checking the rules applying in their own area until the national change takes effect.

Who Will Qualify For The New Disabled Bus Pass Rules?

The change applies to people who qualify for an eligible disabled person’s concessionary bus pass in England.

Having a health condition does not automatically provide entitlement to a pass. Local authorities assess applications against statutory categories established under the Transport Act 2000. The government identifies seven main categories.

• Blind Or Partially Sighted: People who meet the relevant sight impairment criteria may qualify.
• Profoundly Or Severely Deaf: Eligible people with significant hearing loss can qualify.
• Without Speech: People who cannot communicate orally may meet the statutory criteria.
• Unable Or Virtually Unable To Walk: A qualifying disability affecting walking ability can provide eligibility.
• Unable To Use Both Arms: This includes people without arms or unable to use both arms.
• Learning Disability: People meeting the qualifying statutory learning disability criteria can be eligible.
• Driving Licence Medical Grounds: Eligibility can apply where a person would be refused a driving licence on specified medical grounds, excluding refusal connected solely with drug or alcohol misuse.

Local councils remain responsible for administering applications and determining whether an applicant meets the requirements.

How Many Councils Already Allow Travel Before 9.30am?

One reason the national policy matters is that concessionary arrangements currently vary substantially by location.

Department for Transport statistics covering the year ending March 2026 show that 65 of the 85 Travel Concession Authorities outside London offered some form of extension to the normal 9.30am weekday starting time. That represents 76.5% of those authorities.

The same statistics show that 56 authorities offered some extension beyond the normal 11pm finishing time.

However, these local concessions are not identical. Individual areas can have different eligibility requirements, operating hours and transport arrangements.

The national April 2027 policy is intended to remove that time-of-day variation for eligible disabled bus passes when they are used on qualifying local buses in England.

What Does The Change Mean For Disabled Workers?

For some disabled workers, the main practical change will be the ability to use a bus pass for journeys that take place before the traditional working day begins.

Someone starting a shift at 8am may currently have to pay for the outward journey even though the same concessionary pass can be used later in the day.

From April 2027, the government’s planned national rules would remove that timing barrier on qualifying local buses.

This could be particularly relevant in sectors where early, late or changing shifts are common, including retail, hospitality, healthcare, logistics, cleaning and social care.

The policy may also make travelling to training, interviews and education easier for eligible pass holders.

However, free fares do not resolve every transport barrier. A passenger may still face limited early services, inaccessible stops, service cancellations or routes that do not connect effectively with their workplace.

What Does The Bus Pass Change Mean For Small Businesses?

The scheme is not a direct small-business grant or payroll subsidy.

Its potential effect on businesses is mainly through employee mobility.

A small employer with eligible disabled employees may find that some staff have lower commuting costs and greater flexibility when travelling for early or late shifts.

It could also reduce one transport-related obstacle for eligible job applicants who previously had to pay for journeys made before 9.30am.

Businesses should not treat the introduction of free bus travel as replacing their existing responsibilities towards disabled employees.

Transport affordability is only one part of workplace accessibility. Individual employees can have different needs relating to working hours, workplace equipment, physical access and other reasonable adjustments.

Will Carers, Trains And Trams Be Covered?

The national announcement concerns eligible disabled passengers using qualifying bus services.

It should not be interpreted as automatically introducing unrestricted national free travel on trains, trams or coaches.

Companion travel is also a separate issue. Department for Transport statistics show that 56 of 85 Travel Concession Authorities outside London offered some form of discretionary concession for companions of disabled passengers in the year ending March 2026.

That does not create a universal national companion entitlement.

Different local schemes can therefore continue to matter for carers or companions.

Rail and tram concessions also have their own rules.

For example, Greater Manchester’s standard disabled travel pass currently provides free bus travel within Greater Manchester at any time, while restrictions can still apply to train and tram use depending on the type of pass held.

Passengers should check the rules for the particular mode of transport they intend to use rather than assuming the new bus-pass policy covers every form of public transport.

How Does The Plan Compare With Greater Manchester And The Rest Of The UK?

Greater Manchester provides an important example because time restrictions were removed there before the national announcement.

Eligible disabled travel pass holders can currently travel free on buses within Greater Manchester at any time.

When the same pass is used on local buses elsewhere in England under the existing national scheme, the standard weekday 9.30am to 11pm restriction generally still applies until the national change takes effect.

London is another important exception. Disabled Person’s Freedom Pass holders can already use TfL buses at any time. When the pass is used on most non-London local buses elsewhere in England, the current national weekday restriction still applies.

Arrangements elsewhere in the UK are devolved.

Scotland’s National Entitlement Card gives eligible disabled passengers free travel on registered local and long-distance buses at any time of day, subject to scheme exclusions.

Scotland can also provide companion travel where an eligible disabled passenger requires it.

Wales operates its own concessionary travel system under which eligible disabled residents can receive free bus travel.

Northern Ireland uses a separate SmartPass system with different concession levels depending on the passenger’s circumstances.

The England-wide change therefore moves the national bus concession closer to systems where eligible disabled passengers are not restricted to off-peak hours.

£60 Million Bus Pass Funding Vs The £2 Bus Fare Cap

The disabled bus-pass scheme should not be confused with the government’s separate £2 bus fare cap.

Both concern bus affordability, but their funding and target passengers are different.

Policy	Main Funding	Planned Period	Main Beneficiaries
Disabled 24-Hour Bus Passes	£60 Million	From 1 April 2027	Eligible Disabled Bus Pass Holders
£2 Single Bus Fare Cap	£400 Million Extra Funding	Throughout 2027	Passengers On Participating Services Outside London

The government announced the £2 single-fare cap in July 2026. It is due to begin on 1 January 2027 and run through the end of that year on participating services outside London.

The government says £400 million of extra funding supports the fare cap, within a wider £454 million funding package that also includes allocations connected with devolved governments.

By contrast, the disabled concessionary travel measure receives £60 million from existing DWP and DfT budgets.

Keeping the two policies separate is important because someone who qualifies for the disabled pass is scheduled to travel free on qualifying bus journeys after the April 2027 change rather than paying the £2 capped fare.

Latest Andy Burnham Bus Pass Funding Updates

The original national announcement was made in August 2026.

A newer parliamentary answer published on 9 September 2026 repeated the government’s position that disabled bus pass holders in England are intended to receive free bus travel regardless of the time of day from 1 April 2027.

That answer also highlighted wider efforts to reduce disabled passengers’ transport costs, including changes to Disabled Persons Railcard eligibility.

The key timetable has therefore remained unchanged in the government’s latest parliamentary update available in September 2026.

Further implementation details from councils and transport authorities will become particularly important as April 2027 approaches because passengers will need to know whether existing cards will work automatically under the revised rules and whether any local administrative changes are required.

What Should Disabled Bus Pass Holders Do Before April 2027?

Existing pass holders do not need to assume their travel rules have changed immediately.

Until the new national arrangement takes effect, passengers should continue using their passes according to the rules currently operating in their area.

It is worth checking whether the local authority already provides early-morning or late-evening concessions, because many authorities offer more generous arrangements than the national minimum.

Pass holders should also keep an eye on the expiry date of their existing card and follow the normal renewal procedure where required.

Before making an early or late journey, passengers should check that an appropriate bus service actually operates. Removing the fare restriction cannot create a route where there is no service available.

Conclusion

The Andy Burnham bus pass funding announcement represents a significant planned change to disabled concessionary travel in England.

The government has committed £60 million from existing departmental budgets, including £40 million from the DWP and £20 million from the Department for Transport.

Its stated timetable would remove the national weekday time restriction from eligible disabled bus passes from 1 April 2027.

For eligible passengers, the most direct benefit is the ability to use qualifying local buses for early-morning and late-evening journeys without paying simply because the journey falls outside the current concessionary period.

For employers, the effect is indirect, but the change could remove one commuting-cost barrier for some disabled workers.

The £60 million package should also be distinguished from the separate £2 bus fare cap and other transport funding programmes.

As implementation develops, passengers should continue checking official local rules until the national change is in force.

FAQs

When Will Disabled Bus Passes Become 24-Hour In England?

The government has set 1 April 2027 as the intended start date for eligible disabled bus pass holders to travel free regardless of the time of day.

How Much Funding Has Been Announced?

The government has announced £60 million, consisting of £40 million from the Department for Work and Pensions and £20 million from the Department for Transport.

Is The £60 Million Funding Permanent?

The Guardian reported that government sources described the funding as having no set expiry and not being a one-off payment. However, future governments and spending reviews can change public funding arrangements.

Who Qualifies For The New Bus Pass Rules?

The change applies to eligible disabled person’s bus pass holders in England. Local authorities assess applicants against statutory disability categories.

Will The 9.30am Restriction Be Removed?

Yes, under the government’s planned change the national 9.30am weekday restriction for eligible disabled bus passes is scheduled to be removed from 1 April 2027.

Will Carers Get Free Bus Travel?

The national announcement does not establish a universal new free companion entitlement. Some local authorities already provide companion concessions, so passengers should check their local scheme.

Will The Pass Work On Trains And Trams?

The national April 2027 announcement concerns bus travel. Train, tram and other transport concessions follow separate national or local rules and should be checked individually.