At a glance
• The cost of providing the Freedom Pass is set to jump by about £40m to £372m next year due to an ageing population, fare increases, and higher post-pandemic travel demand, and could near £500m by 2030
• Kirstie Allsopp’s criticism of well-off recipients reignited debate as London boroughs, already facing severe funding pressures, continue to subsidise the scheme—often through fines paid by motorists
• With more than 1.2 million passes in use and costs climbing for both TfL and rail services, officials suggest a fundamental review of the Freedom Pass may be needed
The cost of providing free travel to more than a million older Londoners is expected to soar by £40m to £372m next year, it can be revealed.
A combination of an ageing population, annual fare hikes and increased travel demand is predicted to result in a 12 per cent increase in the cost of providing the concessionary scheme – and could hit almost £500m a year by the end of the decade.
The figures can be revealed only days after TV presenter Kirstie Allsopp sparked an online debate about a benefit that she said was “bankrupting our country”.
The Freedom Pass is provided by the 33 London boroughs, often using revenue from motoring fines to subsidise the cost of the travel passes.
Last week Ms Allsopp, best known for the Channel 4 property programme Location, Location, Location, posted a message on X reacting to children’s author Michael Rosen complaining that he was struggling to get a replacement Freedom Pass.
She suggested it was wrong of Mr Rosen, 79, to benefit from a concessionary scheme as she believed he could afford to pay the fare.
“People have to stop taking things they do not need, it is wrong and it is bankrupting our country,” she wrote.
A writer so successful that today is a day dedicated to him in schools all over the country thinks it is reasonable that he travels for free due to his age. People have to stop taking things they do not need, it is wrong and it is bankrupting our country. https://t.co/emkggnFVpr
— Kirstie Allsopp (@KirstieMAllsopp) November 14, 2025
London councils have repeatedly complained about a funding crisis over recent years, driven by the cost of providing temporary accommodation for homeless families. This has resulted in most London council tax bills increasing each year by the maximum amount permitted by the Government.
The Freedom Pass is available to all residents of Greater London on their 66th birthday. It is also provided to disabled Londoners regardless of age.
It permits free travel on all Transport for London services – including the Tube, Elizabeth line, London Overground and London bus network – from 9am on weekdays and at all times during the weekend.
National rail services within Greater London are free after 9.30am during the week and at all times during the weekend.
A total of 1,210,238 Freedom Passes are currently in use, according to London Councils.
A paper presented to its transport and environment committee last week warned of a “significant increase” of £39.9m in 2026/27 in the cost of providing the Freedom Pass - up from £332.4m in 2025/26 to £372.4m in the financial year starting next April.
The cost of funding the Freedom Pass is subject to annual negotiations between London Councils, TfL and the Rail Delivery Group, on behalf of train companies. The aim is to ensure that nobody ends up “better or worse off” as a result of the scheme.
The amount paid by councils to TfL is expected to increase from £307m to £343m, while the amount paid to the Rail Delivery Group is expected to rise from £21.8m to £26m.
London Councils said Freedom Pass journeys were up year-on-year as travel demand continued to increase post-pandemic and because more Londoners were entitled to receive a Freedom Pass.
London Councils estimates the cost of the Freedom Pass could reach £494m by 2030/31, due to annual increases in TfL fares in excess of four per cent – including a predicted 5.8 per cent in 2026/27 – and an annual growth in London’s population aged 66 or older of between 2.3 per cent to 2.6 per cent a year.
Officials have suggested there may be “scope to consider a fundamental review of the scheme itself” to limit its costs, though this would require a potential reassessment of the Greater London Authority Act 1999.
A spokesperson for London Councils said: “The Freedom Pass provides eligible London residents, including those over 66 and those with specific disabilities, with free travel on most public transport in London. This covers buses, the Tube, the DLR, London Overground, trams and most National Rail services within the capital.
“Whilst we have contacted Mr Rosen and are investigating why he was unable to renew his Freedom Pass online, we are pleased to confirm that his new pass is due to be dispatched shortly.
“The Freedom Pass is not fully funded by government and boroughs make up the shortfall through various income streams, including PCNs and parking revenue. This funding supports essential traffic and parking services, with any surplus reinvested into key transport initiatives such as the Freedom Pass for older and disabled Londoners.”
The Freedom Pass is separate to the 60+ Oyster, which is provided by TfL to Londoners aged 60 to 65 and provides a similar entitlement to free travel, outside of the morning rush hour.
TfL forgoes an estimated £80m a year in fares income due to use of the 60+ Oyster.
London mayor Sir Sadiq Khan did propose to increase the qualifying age for the 60+ Oyster by six months each year, with a view to eradicating it entirely, but later dropped the plan.
The Standard has approached Ms Allsopp, via her agent, for comment.
