Londoners are being urged to make any Freedom Pass applications or changes before the scheme’s online portal is taken offline for two weeks as part of a major service upgrade.
The Freedom Pass website will be unavailable from 5pm on Monday 31 August until 9am on Tuesday 15 September. During that period, customers will not be able to submit new applications, request replacement passes or update their personal details through the online system.
The upgrade is intended to improve the way the service operates, allowing residents to apply more quickly, follow the progress of applications online and providing stronger long-term security and reliability.
For existing pass holders, however, there will be no interruption. Current Freedom Passes will continue to work as normal, and the eligibility rules for the scheme remain unchanged.
Anyone who cannot complete an application before the portal closes will be able to apply once the online service returns on Tuesday 15 September. Paper applications will also remain available during the shutdown, with forms received while the portal is offline due to be prioritised once processing resumes.
Cllr Paul Osborn, London Councils' Executive Member for Transport and Environment, said the temporary closure was necessary to ensure the service could be upgraded safely.
He thanked Londoners for their patience and said the changes would create a more resilient service while ensuring customer information was transferred securely.
He also stressed that existing users would not lose their entitlement to the Freedom Pass during the upgrade.
There is a separate change affecting Londoners who currently use a 60+ Oyster card.
People reaching the qualifying age for an Older Person's Freedom Pass will no longer have their pass transferred automatically. They must now submit an application themselves.
The change follows updated data-sharing arrangements between London Councils and Transport for London and does not alter eligibility for the Freedom Pass scheme.
Residents can find guidance on applications, paper forms and the process for moving from a 60+ Oyster card on the Freedom Pass website. Photo by Au Morandarte from Chiswick/Romford, London, England, Wikimedia commons.
