Update on Older Person’s Freedom Pass Renewals

Many residents may have recently received communication regarding the renewal of their Older Person’s Freedom Pass, and I want to provide an update for those who may still have questions or concerns.

As of 31st March, Freedom Passes expired for nearly 500,000 older Londoners. The good news is that 92% of these individuals have already successfully received their renewed passes.

For those who haven’t, London Councils—who manage the Freedom Pass scheme conducted a data-matching process to verify addresses. Around 93,579 pass holders were identified as potentially having changed address and were contacted via email or letter, requesting supporting documents to complete the renewal.

So far, 59,932 people have responded with the necessary evidence, but approximately 34,858 are still yet to provide the required documentation. This has led to a surge in calls to the Freedom Pass helpline, which has occasionally resulted in the lines being temporarily restricted once call volumes exceed 200. This is to ensure queued calls can be answered and processed efficiently.

What You Can Do

If you or someone you know has not yet renewed their Freedom Pass, please check the following:

• Does the pass show an expiry date of 31st March 2025?If so, no action is needed.

• Have you moved home and not informed London Councils?

• Have you used your Freedom Pass in the last two years?

If either of the last two points apply, please check your inbox and junk folder for an email from London Councils with instructions for renewal. You can still renew online at: secure.freedompass.org/renew until Friday, 30th May.

If you did not receive any correspondence, please email: info@freedompass.org for further assistance.

In the meantime, even if your pass has expired, you can continue using it until Thursday, 1st May, as TfL staff have been instructed to accept visual inspections of 2025 expiry passes.

As always, if you need help navigating this process, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with my office. I’ll continue to liaise with London Councils to ensure no constituent is unfairly impacted by delays or confusion around the renewal process.

Margaret Mullane, MP

Working hard for Dagenham and Rainham