scotland wide free bus travel mental health

National Entitlement Card (for 60+ and disabled)

Nec c - web.jpg.

The National Entitlement Card (NEC) is ITSO enabled and available for you if you are over 60 years old or are eligible due to a disability. The NEC is your concessionary travel pass, more commonly known as the free bus pass, which gives you free travel on Scotland's public transport bus network. The NEC may also provide access to free or discounted travel in your local authority, for example on Glasgow Subway, Edinburgh Trams and even on some ScotRail services. Check with your local authority for more details.

The NEC can be used to store ITSO travel tickets.

Whilst the NEC will provide access to concessionary travel on Lothian transport, the NEC cannot be used to store their passes. 

• Skip to main content

Information

You appear to be using an unsupported browser, and it may not be able to display this site properly. You may wish to upgrade your browser .

We use cookies to collect anonymous data to help us improve your site browsing experience.

Click 'Accept all cookies' to agree to all cookies that collect anonymous data. To only allow the cookies that make the site work, click 'Use essential cookies only.' Visit 'Set cookie preferences' to control specific cookies.

Your cookie preferences have been saved. You can change your cookie settings at any time.

Apply for a disabled persons bus pass

Apply online.

Apply for a bus pass online at getyournec.scot .

Apply through Strathclyde Partnership for Transport

You can apply through Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) if you live in their area . This includes Glasgow and the Strathclyde area of the west of Scotland.

You can apply by:

Visit the SPT website to find out how to apply through SPT .

Apply through your local council

If you live in any other area of Scotland, you can apply through your local council. 

How you can apply and how long it will take depends on each council. Your council will tell you the best way to apply in your area.

Visit the Transport Scotland website to find the phone number, email address and website for your council .

What you need to apply for or renew your bus pass

When applying or renewing, you'll need:

• a recent photo
• proof of age
• proof of your current address

If you are eligible to have a companion travel with you free of charge , you'll need to give evidence of this.This may be an award notice letter from the Department of Work and Pensions or a copy of your blind registration certificate.

More help with applying for a disabled persons bus pass

If you live in the Glasgow and Strathclyde area you can contact SPT by:

• email:  [email protected]
• phone: 0141 333 3211

If you live somewhere else in Scotland, you can contact your local council. 

They can help with things like:

• where you can apply or renew your bus pass
• problems applying
• when you'll get your bus pass

There is a problem

Thanks for your feedback

Your feedback helps us to improve this website. Do not give any personal information because we cannot reply to you directly.

NATIONAL ENTITLEMENT CARD

• If you have a disability you could be eligible for free bus travel to get around Scotland and your local area, accessed via the National Entitlement Card. The scheme provides free travel on most registered local and long-distance bus services throughout Scotland, at any time of day for any number of journeys, for disabled people. For more information on the scheme and eligibility, please visit the Transport Scotland website.  
• The scheme also allows for free travel for companions where required by eligible disabled people of any age. Companions can make travel much easier, helping you get on and off buses, carrying shopping and communicating with the driver. For more information on the scheme and eligibility, please visit the Transport Scotland website.

• Skip to main content
• Accessibility help

Information

We use cookies to collect anonymous data to help us improve your site browsing experience.

Click 'Accept all cookies' to agree to all cookies that collect anonymous data. To only allow the cookies that make the site work, click 'Use essential cookies only.' Visit 'Set cookie preferences' to control specific cookies.

Your cookie preferences have been saved. You can change your cookie settings at any time.

A Fairer Scotland for Older People: framework for action

This framework has been developed to challenge the inequalities older people face as they age and to celebrate older people in Scotland.

Accessing public and other services

Older people want action to ensure they have access to:

• the public services they need 
• adequate numbers of care sector workers in the wake of Brexit
• the health and social care services they require, including mental health
• opportunities to influence how health and social care integration is organised and delivered.

Supporting positive engagement – what government and stakeholders are doing, and will do

When we speak of services in this chapter, we refer to services in their widest sense – so not just central and local government services, but also those accessible from the voluntary and private sectors that have been identified as priorities by older people, such as banking and healthcare.

Supporting community facilities

Keeping connected with communities and everyday activities is one of the means by which health and wellbeing can be supported. Older people speak of their concerns about community facilities – things like libraries, parks, local shops, meeting places, and banking services – being reduced or removed. 

The Scottish Government’s A Connected Scotland [31] strategy for tackling social isolation and loneliness and building stronger social connections recognises the importance of libraries to communities. That’s why we’re investing in the Public Library Improvement Fund to support innovative ways for people to use public libraries, and are also taking forward implementation of the first strategy for public libraries in Scotland. We will work to ensure our approach to increasing access includes hard-to-reach groups and considers further how to build on what libraries already offer as community hubs.

We Will Engage with key partners on Ambition & Opportunity: a strategy for public libraries in Scotland 2015–202032 in recognition of libraries as vital public spaces for older people.

Older people, particularly (but not exclusively) those in rural areas, have expressed great concern about the closure of local bank services as banking moves increasingly to online platforms (similar issues arise in other services, such as post offices). The Scottish Government shares concerns on this issue and has lobbied strongly for bank closure reversals, but as regulation of the financial system remains a matter reserved to the UK Parliament in Westminster, our influence in this area is limited. We will nevertheless continue to support action for a more diverse banking sector and raise issues of local bank branch closures with senior executives in the sector.

We Will Continue to highlight the damaging impact of financial services reductions in local services to banks and post offices to the UK Government. Continue to work with the financial services sector to mitigate the impact of service reform on older people.

For those who experience reduced mobility in older age and require support with, for example, accessing toilet facilities, the Scottish Government is fully committed to the continuing provision of Changing Places toilets. This is an important part of the A Fairer Scotland for Disabled People: delivery plan [33] , particularly in supporting our ambition that “places should be accessible to everyone.” 

On 20 February 2019, the Scottish Government announced funding of £45,000 for PAMIS (Promoting a More Inclusive Society) to design and build a second mobile Changing Places Toilet to support individuals and families to be able to get out and experience what Scotland has to offer, particularly in more remote regions.

We also recognise that good health and wellbeing and the ability to access health services are vitally important to older people. We want to ensure that person-centred care planning is enabled, and documentation of anticipatory care plans ensured.

We Will Continue to implement the new GP Contract by transferring services so that GPs can focus on the work only they can do. This will allow for longer consultations for patients where they are needed, particularly for complex care of patients with multi-morbidity, including comorbidity of physical and mental health issues. Revise and update the Palliative Care Direct Enhanced Service, which resources practices to learn from and improve the palliative care they provide, from April 2019.

Through our National Primary Care Workforce Plan, we have set out how we will assist primary care services effectively to respond to the changing and growing needs of the ageing population and the anticipated changes in the way services will be developed to meet these needs.

We Will Strengthen multidisciplinary teams to deliver an enhanced and sustainable workforce to improve patient outcomes in primary care settings. Work with partners to ensure that better-quality and more timely data is developed to drive effective local and national workforce planning for primary care.

We know demand on primary care services inevitably will rise, given increasing levels of multi-morbidity among an ageing population and our strategic goal of shifting care from hospitals to community and home or homely settings. This requires a GP workforce that is both sufficient to meet demand and flexible enough to address changing needs.

We Will Increase the number of GPs working in Scotland by at least 800 by 2028 through our recruitment and marketing campaign that will launch this year. Continue to invest in training and education of general practice nurses, providing nursing care across the life cycle. This includes supporting the management of long-term conditions and supporting people with complex conditions or who are frail as part of integrated community teams.

We must create the conditions that facilitate more meaningful conversations between people and their healthcare professionals, and create the conditions that help people make informed choices about their treatment and care options, based on what matters most to them. The shared vision for Scotland is that:

‘By 2025, everyone who provides healthcare in Scotland will demonstrate their professionalism through the approaches, behaviours and attitudes of Realistic Medicine.’ Dr Catherine Calderwood, Chief Medical Officer for Scotland [34]

Realistic medicine is about:

• listening to and understanding patients’ problems and preferences 
• sharing decisions between healthcare professionals and their patients
• ensuring that patients have all the understandable information they need to make an informed choice
• moving away from the ‘doctor knows best’ culture to ensure a more equal partnership with people
• supporting healthcare professionals to be innovative, to pursue continuous quality improvement and to manage risk better
• reducing the harm and waste caused by both over-provision and under-provision of care
• identifying and tackling unwarranted variation in clinical practice.

Professionals and patients sharing decisions will ensure people have the information they need to make an informed choice about their treatment and care, meaning they will receive care they really value. Shared decision-making can also reduce the harm and waste caused by overtreatment and help redirect wasted resources to more appropriate care. 

In October and November 2018, we held Scotland’s first ever Citizens’ Jury , a recognised tool for public engagement, on a health topic. Over three weekends, the Jury considered the question: ‘What should shared decision-making look like and what needs to be done for this to happen?’

The Jury presented recommendations to the Chief Medical Officer in February 2019 on what needs to be done to support professionals and the public to practise shared decision-making [35] . The Scottish Government committed at the outset to carefully consider the recommendations and reply to all, either with a commitment to action or an explanation of why any recommendations cannot be taken forward. 

We Will Develop an action plan to take forward the Citizens’ Jury recommendations to help promote and support shared decision-making to help ensure people receive healthcare they really value.

Promoting transport links

Transport is a key area in which the Government and partners have been able to take positive action to promote older people’s engagement with, and contributions to, communities.

We are committed to providing free bus travel to older and disabled people, helping them to lead more connected, healthier and happier lives. Since the scheme began in 2006–2007, we have provided budgets of over £2 billion to fund concessionary travel. The average benefit per year is about £260 for a person eligible to use the Scotland-wide Free Bus Travel Scheme for Older and Disabled People. There are close to 1.4 million cardholders in Scotland, of whom 90% hold a pass on the basis of age. The scheme as a whole was responsible for around 141.8 million journeys in 2017–2018.

We consulted in 2017 on how to ensure the sustainability of concessionary travel. The scheme is greatly valued and works well for cardholders for a number of reasons, including making financial savings, reducing isolation, engendering a sense of greater independence and increasing confidence in their own ability to travel. Cardholders see the scheme as having improved their mental and physical wellbeing. Additional journeys are being made by cardholders that would not otherwise have been made. Respondents with a disabled or visual impairment card cited greater independence as a key benefit.

Community transport plays an important role in providing flexible and accessible community-led solutions in response to unmet local transport needs, and often represents the only means of transport for many vulnerable and isolated people, often older people or people with disabilities. Typically, community transport includes voluntary car schemes, community bus services, school transport, hospital transport, dial-a-ride, wheels to work and group hire services. Most community transport initiatives are demand-responsive, taking people from door to door, but a growing number are scheduled services along fixed routes where conventional bus services aren’t available. 

These types of services help people access the services they need, particularly in rural areas where public transport can be limited. They are of particular benefit to older and disabled people who have difficulty accessing conventional bus services. Our research tells us that community transport offers health benefits, including enabling access to health services and ensuring fewer missed appointments, and also that it has wider economic benefits for local communities, providing jobs and supporting volunteering and training opportunities. 

Bus usage was highest for people aged 60 to 79; in rural areas, however, older people were less likely to have used a bus in the previous month Percentage who had travelled by bus in the previous month by urban/rural classification

15% of people aged 50 to 79 living in remote rural areas had used a bus in the past month

In contrast, about 70% of people aged 60 to 79 living in large urban areas had used a bus

Source: Transport and Travel in Scotland 2013–17

Funding is provided to local authorities for community transport and demand-responsive transport services, and local authorities allocate the funding to best meet local needs and circumstances. We are supporting community transport through funding to the Community Transport Association in Scotland to develop the sector and provide a minibus driver and instructor training programme in Scotland.

The Bus Service Operators Grant scheme is a discretionary grant that subsidises commercial and community bus routes. This is an annual subsidy of over £50 million comprising a core payment and an incentive for the operation of green, environmentally-friendly buses. The Grant contributes to the maintenance of the nation’s bus networks for the benefit of passengers. The core payment aims to support operators to keep fares at affordable levels and provide networks more extensive than would otherwise be the case. 

We currently are reviewing the National Transport Strategy. The new National Transport Strategy will be published by the end of 2019 and will set out a compelling vision for transport for the next 20 years. As part of the review, national working groups involving a range of key stakeholders were convened to examine significant themes relating to transport. One of these groups, of which Age Scotland and the Mobility and Access Committee for Scotland were members, looked at the theme of ‘Tackling Inequality’, and covered a range of concerns expressed by older people (among others) around accessibility to public transport and affordability. The group submitted a report with suggested policies to underpin the new National Transport Strategy, and these suggested policies are currently being assessed for fitness to be included in a formal public consultation on the new strategy commencing May 2019.

In addition to the report from the working group, extensive stakeholder engagement with older people took place in 2018 on the National Transport Strategy review. Workshops convened jointly by Transport Scotland and Age Scotland were held throughout Scotland to explore the specific concerns, opportunities and challenges faced by older people in relation to transport. Feedback from these workshops will help to inform thinking around the production of the draft strategy.

We Will Engage directly with the Older People’s Strategic Action Forum to shape the next National Transport Strategy as part of our consultation process.

Promoting self-directed support

The Social Care (Self-directed Support) (Scotland) Act 2013 enshrines in law that people who are eligible for social care support must be involved in decisions about what their support looks like and how it is delivered. This re-balancing of power between services and the individual seeks to ensure that the supported person can direct their care in a way that focuses on the aspects of life that matter to them.

The National Self-directed Support Strategy 2010–2020 [36] is a joint Scottish Government and Convention of Scottish Local Authorities ( COSLA ) 10-year plan dedicated to driving forward the personalisation of social care in Scotland. COSLA and the Government jointly approved the 2016–2018 self-directed support implementation plan to help with the changes needed to introduce, use and roll-out the approach in full across Scotland, and to support people to get the choice and control set out in the legislation. The full implementation of self-directed support is integral to the developing programme of adult social care reform. 

We Will Publish a national implementation plan (2019– 2021) to embed self-directed support in social care nationally and locally, so that older people can make the decisions that matter to them in terms of being supported to maintain their social connections.

Under the Support in the Right Direction 2021 ( SiRD2021 ) programme [37] , we are funding 31 projects delivering direct and local independent support across 31 local authority areas. These projects will help older people and their carers make informed decisions and plans for their social care and work towards maximising their choice, control and flexibility over those arrangements. Over £7.2 million will be invested in projects from October 2018 to March 2021, with work with relevant local authorities ensuring that more people across Scotland who require social care are engaged, informed, included and empowered to make choices about their support.

Integrating health and social care

A number of innovative ways of delivering healthcare in rural areas are being developed and tested with Scottish Government support. Working with NHS boards, we are developing networks between rural and urban hospitals to support doctors working in rural areas to maintain and develop their skills, ensuring that patients can access and receive safe care. Access to health and care services is also being enhanced through technological means, including the Attend Anywhere browser-based video consultation tool, which allows access to routine appointments from home or anywhere through a smartphone/tablet.

Free Personal Care for people aged 65 and over in Scotland currently benefits around 76,000 older adults. In 2016–2017, just under 46,000 older people received personal care in their own homes and just over 30,000 in residential care homes. The Scottish Government has been working with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities and other partners to improve the fairness and consistency of charging for social care, and Free Personal Care will be available to those under 65 who are assessed as requiring it by 1 April 2019. [38]

Prevention programmes for improving health in later life, particularly for those with lower health status, will be vital to enabling people to live in good health and wellbeing in older age. Shortening the amount of ill health in later life is clearly possible, [39] not only through measures in the health and social care sector alone, but also by a wide range of sectors – education, housing, transport, work and pensions, benefits and leisure sectors, for instance – coming together with health and social care to put in place the opportunities and supports people need to keep well and avoid ill health. 

Developing a national programme to support local reform of adult social care

Together with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities, we have been working with people who use social care support, carers, people who work in social work and social care, local and national organisations, health and social care partnerships, councils and other professional sectors to co-develop a national programme to support local reform of adult social care. 

Scots are enjoying longer lives, which often are accompanied by more complex care needs. Demand for social care is growing faster than our traditional services were designed for. The programme is bringing together different perspectives, skills and experiences to agree what needs to change for people to be able to access the right support into the future and how to make those changes. It will raise awareness of the value of social care for individuals and our society and identify where and how national action can build on, and support, existing and planned work driven by local communities and health and social care partnerships. 

The People-led Policy Panel is a new engagement framework consisting of 50 members, with a core group of 19 people who meet on a more regular basis. The diverse group members all have lived experience of adult social care support, including carers. They have experience of different kinds of social care for different purposes and are from a spread of areas across Scotland. The Panel will be engaging with other citizen-led groups and forums to get more in-depth insights on specific perspectives or issues. The views and experiences of older people will be directly involved in this work.

We Will Work with the People-led Policy Panel to shape what the national programme to support local reform of adult social care will focus on, and the projects and activities within it.

The Adult Support and Protection (Scotland) Act 2007 gives local authorities powers to intervene to prevent harm and abuse to adults who may be vulnerable. The Act places duties on local authorities, health boards, police and others to cooperate to protect adults to reduce and prevent the risk of harm. It covers all types of harm, physical, psychological and sexual abuse, neglect and self-harm. An inspection of six adult support and protection partnerships by the Care Inspectorate and Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland in 2018 found strengths and areas for improvement.  

We are developing an improvement plan to strengthen adult support and protection across Scotland, with the work to be delivered over the next three years. 

We Will Formally engage with the Older People’s Strategic Action Forum in 2019 so that the experiences of older people are reflected in and inform our improvement programme for adult support and protection.

In partnership with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities, care providers, integration authorities and the Care Inspectorate, we will be undertaking work looking at the future role of care homes in the context of health and social care integration. This will be taken forward as part of the national programme to support local reform of adult social care. 

Safeguarding against the effects of Brexit on health and social care services

The Scottish Government shares older people’s concerns about the effects of the UK exiting the European Union ( EU ) (Brexit) on recruitment and retention of staff in the health and care sector.  While the long-term implications of Brexit cannot be predicted precisely, very real impacts have already been felt, with the Nursing and Midwifery Council reporting a massive decline in the number of registration applications from nurses and midwives from the European Economic Area and Switzerland over the year immediately following the EU referendum. Our National Health and Social Care Workforce Plan: part three [40] sets out approaches to ensuring we have the workforce Scotland needs across health and social care, and these approaches will seek to mitigate the impacts of Brexit as these emerge. The next iteration of the workforce plan will be the publication of the Integrated Health and Social Care Workforce Plan this year.

What we do know for sure is that Scotland’s health and social care sector benefits enormously from the contribution of staff from across the EU . Around 13,000 citizens from other EU nations currently work in health and social care in Scotland, comprising 3.5% of the sector’s overall workforce. In social care alone, 7.3% of registered nurses and 5.5% of adult social care staff come from non- UK EU nations.

We greatly value EU citizens and their wider contribution to our society, and we are working to ensure their rights and place in our nation are protected. This means we need to retain our ability to recruit staff from inside and outside the EU , with cross-border mobility and freedom of movement being essential components. To this end, we are absolutely committed to supporting EU nationals to continue to live and work in Scotland. 

Addressing mental health issues in older age

Mental health is an absolute priority for this government, reflected in the appointment of a specific minister for mental health. Our new 10-year Mental Health Strategy 2017–2027 [41] has a strong focus on equalities, recognising the enormous impact mental health can have on health, wellbeing and quality of life in older age.

Our vision for the strategy is of a Scotland where people can get the right help at the right time, expect recovery, and fully enjoy their rights, free from discrimination and stigma. Our annual Mental Health Forum, the next of which is due in December 2019, provides an opportunity for stakeholders to track progress on the actions in the strategy and to help develop new actions in future years to help meet our ambitions.

A major part of mental health services in Scotland is enabling access to psychological therapies, a range of interventions designed to help people understand and make changes to their thinking, behaviour and relationships to relieve distress and improve functioning. The strategy commits the Scottish Government to offer national support to NHS boards to ensure no unwarranted variation across the country to mental health and psychological therapy services, and no lower levels of access to psychological therapies for people over the age of 65, numbers of which are now included in quarterly waiting times reports for psychological therapies from integrated joint boards.

We Will Work closely with NHS boards throughout 2019 to improve provision of, and access to, mental health services, including psychological therapy for people over the age of 65.

Supporting people with dementia and their carers

There is an estimated number of up to 90,000 people living with dementia in Scotland, the vast majority of whom are over 65. Since 2007, we have taken priority action on dementia, with our third National Dementia Strategy 2017–2020 published in 2017 [42] . Many people are developing dementia into very old age when they are already living with long-term or chronic conditions. The integration of health and social care in Scotland is designed to enable more older people with multiple conditions to stay living well in their own homes for longer and retain an active part in their communities as far as possible. Ongoing national work on dementia will include engagement with this framework’s agenda.

We Will Coordinate national work on dementia and this framework to ensure that older people with dementia retain a visible and active part in their communities.

Engage with the Older People’s Strategic Action Forum on our ongoing national work on dementia to ensure older people’s representative groups are linked in to the current dementia strategy.

Planning the delivery of integrated services

Health and social care have been integrated to change the way key services can be accessed and delivered, with greater emphasis on supporting people in their own homes and communities and less inappropriate use of hospitals and care homes. The people most affected by these developments, and for whom the greatest improvements can be achieved, are older people.

The Public Bodies (Joint Working) (Scotland) Act 2014 provides the framework under which health and social care integration is taken forward. Integration authorities are required to engage and consult with a range of stakeholders and work with local communities and professionals to improve outcomes and sustainability. 

A key element of the Act is that integration authorities are required to engage and consult with a range of stakeholders, working with local communities and professionals to improve outcomes and sustainability. It is important that the voices of those in communities, including older people’s, are heard on matters relating to health and social care integration. This takes place primarily at locality and strategic planning group level, but improvements in how engagement and consultation are taken forward are important in supporting the appropriate redesign and delivery of services that will meet older people’s, and others’, needs within their communities. 

At national level, the Ministerial Strategic Group for Health and Community Care has proposed a look at how local systems undertake meaningful and sustained engagement to ensure this is the central pillar of how services are planned and delivered.  

We Will Engage with the Older People’s Strategic Action Forum in 2019 on matters relating to health and social care integration, and the current engagement and consultation practices of local partnerships.

Produce revised statutory guidance on local community engagement and participation based on existing good practice, which will apply across health and social care bodies. This will ensure engagement is central to achieving the scale of change and reform required via health and social care integration, and is an ongoing process that is not undertaken only when service change is proposed. The guidance will be published by the end of 2019.

Ensure carers and representatives of people using health and social care services are supported by their local partnerships to enable meaningful engagement with their constituencies. This would include, for example, receipt of integration joint board papers with enough time for meaningful engagement and allowing people using services time to respond to issues raised. It would also include paying reasonable expenses for attending meetings.

Supporting people with sensory impairment

The Scottish Government is committed to supporting children and adults who have deafness, sight loss and dual sensory loss to access the health and social care they need through its See Hear strategy. [43]  

The term sensory impairment can apply to several different conditions. The strategy reflects this and works across a wide spectrum of categorisations and all age groups, supporting people who identify with, or who have a diagnosis of, auditory, visual or dual sensory loss. 

The strategy’s recommendations are delivered through local partnerships involving local authority, health and third sector organisations who are responsible for identifying local priorities and developing workstreams, timescales and implementation plans based on local priorities and need.

There is an estimated 850,000 people with hearing loss in Scotland, one in six of the population, and of those, 70% are over 70. This figure is projected to increase by 50% by 2034.

Most services for those with hearing loss are provided from acute hospital settings, with only 15% of all activity classed as community-based provision. We are seeking to improve community provision of support for people who use hearing aids, delivering more accessible and integrated services and providing diagnostic services in premises closer to people’s homes. This is why we are establishing two pilots that will explore the delivery of enhanced community audiology services in a general practice setting. The pilots, which link with third sector providers, will be held in NHS Ayrshire and Arran and NHS Tayside and are set to commence early in 2019, running for 12 months.

We Will Work with stakeholders to deliver enhanced community audiology services and testing.

Use evidence from pilots exploring the delivery of enhanced community audiology services in a general practice setting to inform next steps in provision of audiology services for older people.

We recognise the importance of good eyesight throughout life, and the Scottish Government is committed to continuing to provide free NHS -funded eye examinations for everyone. Monitoring for eye disease becomes more crucial as we age, and additional tests and assessments to identify early signs of sight-threatening conditions, especially glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration, are part of the Scottish eye examination for older people. We will continue to provide an NHS -funded eye examination service to support the early identification of sight-threatening disease.

Visual impairment increases dramatically with age. Loss of vision can have a devastating effect on a person’s physical and mental wellbeing. The appropriate provision of low-vision aids can support independence within the community and reduce reliance on support services.

We Will Establish a community-based low-vision service, building on the groundwork that has already been conducted, to improve access to low-vision aids and appropriate signposting to other support services.

Introducing technology-enabled care

‘Globally, just over half (55%) of us believe that technological development has the capacity to improve age for a lot of people’ Ipsos-MORI/Centre for Ageing Better The Perenials: the Future of Ageing, page 177

Scotland’s world-leading Technology-enabled Care Programme continues to support greater independent living and healthy ageing by delivering a step-change in how technology is used as a cost-effective support.This includes maximising the service redesign opportunities presented by the shift from analogue to digital telecare services. 

Technology and technology-enabled care are providing new and exciting opportunities to identify people at risk before they have experienced harm. New technologies are emerging that can monitor our health, combining pioneering ‘predictive analytics’ with innovative wearable technology to identify the most vulnerable people in society.

Promoting digital participation

Eighty-five per cent of Scottish households reported having internet access at home in 2017, an increase from 42% in 2003. The groups most likely to remain disconnected are the older generations, people living in social housing, those who are unemployed, and people who have challenges accessing digital technology due to disabilities. 

Average internet use decreases with age Percentage who use the internet every day

Source: Scottish Household Survey 2017

The Scottish Government is committed to increasing digital participation. A cross-sector movement throughout Scotland to ensure that everyone is able to realise the social, cultural and economic benefits of digital technologies now exists. This is shown in the continuing increase in digital participation, the number of signatories to the Digital Participation Charter, the number of projects supported by the Charter Fund and the increase in sector-specific digital champion networks. 

Our Digital Participation Team has been looking at ways to increase digital inclusion for older adults. Research carried out with groups of older people with varying degrees of digital skills has shown that many older people prefer peer-to-peer learning from someone they know and identify with, over more formal training courses. 

We are now working with organisations such as the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations, Age Scotland, third sector community projects and housing associations to develop a network of digital champions for older people to aid digital inclusion and reduce social isolation and loneliness through the development of essential digital skills.

The Scottish Government funds the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations with £375,000 a year to support the Digital Participation Charter and the Digital Participation Charter Fund, ensuring there are robust links across sectors and that the Charter and Fund have as wide a reach as possible. 

The aim of the Digital Participation Charter is to create a movement of support for the development of essential digital skills across Scotland. The Charter has secured commitment from over 600 public, private and third sector organisations to build the digital skills of their workforce, customers, volunteers and service users and to support each other to achieve that aim. 

The Charter Fund was established in 2014 to support local projects to increase digital participation. It was a key action outlined in the Scottish Government’s Digital Participation: a national framework for local action strategy, published in 2014. [44]

The Fund’s aim is to provide funding for organisations to assist digitally excluded people to gain or improve their basic online skills. We have invested £1.5 million in the Fund, which has supported 169 local projects across Scotland to enable over 20,000 people to gain or improve their essential digital skills. Round 7 of the Charter Fund was launched on 30 January 2019 and is open to organisations from all sectors to support the development of basic digital skills. This round of funding focuses on two specific themes:

• supporting working-age people to increase financial capability, employment and other economic outcomes
• supporting older and disabled people to reduce social isolation and loneliness.

We Will Work with the Ministerial Action Group on Digital Participation to increase digital inclusion of older people with the growing technologybased services sector.

Work with groups of older people to understand how digital technology can add value to their lives in a way that is meaningful to them, and link this to our ongoing work on delivering our digital strategy for Scotland.

Providing health and social care for older prisoners

Work on improving the provision of health and social care integration includes providing support to older prisoners with health and social care needs. The Scottish Parliament’s Health and Sport Committee report on healthcare in prisons, published in May 2017, [45] and the HM Inspectorate of Prisons for Scotland’s report Who Cares? The Lived Experience of Older Prisoners in Scotland’s Prisons , published in July 2017, [46] highlighted the urgent need to review the provision of health and social care due to the rise in older people in prison. 

We established a national Health and Justice Collaboration Improvement Board in response, consisting of senior leaders from health and justice agencies, to explore how we can improve collaboration between health and justice and deliver benefits in practice. Under this Board, a Health and Social Care Integration in Prisons Workstream was established. This project is due for completion by March 2020.

The Workstream commissioned the University of Dundee to undertake a review of the current provision of social care in Scotland’s prisons, focusing on the human rights and equality of prisoners, and making recommendations on how to improve provision. The report is due to be published in spring 2019 and will inform the development of a new model for delivery of health and social care integration in prisons.

We Will Respond to the recommendations made in the University of Dundee’s review of the current provision of social care in Scotland’s prisons when developing a model of delivery of integrated health and social care in Scotland’s prisons, taking into consideration the human rights and equality of care of older prisoners, including all of the protected characteristics.

Searching for people who §go missing

Older people in communities across Scotland are among those who go missing every year. The likelihood of an older person going missing is increased if they have a condition like dementia. In 2017–2018, Police Scotland made 22,966 investigations for people who were missing: 36% involved an adult (over 18 years) and 2% (538) involved an adult with dementia. Work in local authority areas has been developed to respond to this issue in ways that take account of local circumstances and support agencies in working together to locate those who have gone missing. 

Police Scotland worked with partner organisations in 2015 to develop protocols for safeguarding and preventing people at risk of going missing, and of activating the appropriate response when they do go missing to ensure they are found as quickly as possible. A protocol for adults in care homes has been evaluated and is currently being reviewed with a view to identifying best practice and rolling-out the protocol through 2019–2020 to help safeguard older people who go missing.

We Will Work with Police Scotland and partner organisations to develop and roll-out the adults in care settings pilot protocol to safeguard and prevent people at risk of going missing.

Email: [email protected]

There is a problem

Thanks for your feedback

Your feedback helps us to improve this website. Do not give any personal information because we cannot reply to you directly.

Consultation on Free Bus Travel for Older and Disabled People and Modern Apprentices

Closed 17 Nov 2017

Opened 25 Aug 2017

0131 244 0781

[email protected]

Published responses

View submitted responses where consent has been given to publish the response.

Consultation is an essential part of the Scottish Government’s policy making process. It gives us the opportunity to seek your opinions. This Consultation sets out the issues under consideration and asks you questions about what we are proposing. After the Consultation is closed we will publish responses where we have been given permission to do so.

Responses are analysed and used as part of the policy making process, along with a range of other available information and evidence. Responses to this Consultation will help to inform the development of future rules and guidance on the National Concessionary Travel Scheme in Scotland.

Why your views matter

The Scottish Government is launching this Consultation to seek your views on the concessionary travel scheme for older and disabled people (“the Scheme”).

This popular and valued scheme improves access for older and disabled people to essential services and opens up participation in family and other social activities that would otherwise not be affordable, ultimately offering independence to people who rely on bus travel.

Over 1.3 million bus pass holders benefit from the Scotland-wide free bus travel scheme for older and disabled people. They make around 145 million bus journeys each year representing around a third of all bus journeys made in Scotland. Free bus travel is delivering one of the Scottish Government’s key commitments, one we believe brings important benefits for all our eligible older and disabled people.

We are committed to continuing to provide free bus travel for those who need it the most, and therefore want to look at options to ensure the longer-term sustainability of the scheme so that free bus travel can continue to benefit those who have the greatest need.

We are also aware of the particular challenges facing younger people and will be asking for your views on our proposal to provide free bus travel to Modern Apprentices and how that might be taken forward. We will also be looking to provide free companion travel for eligible disabled children under five who are not currently covered by the Scheme.

Whatever happens going forward, if you already have a bus pass, or obtain one before any changes are made, you will not lose it! Those with a bus pass will continue to access the benefits of the Scheme. In addition we will not be making any adverse changes to the existing eligibility criteria for those with a disability.

Please consider the following questions and give us your views. Further information on the Scheme and on all questions can be found in the consultation document attached below.

Download the consultation paper.

• Consultation on free bus travel for older and disabled people and modern apprentices 813.3 KB (PDF document)
• Concessionary travel - one pager 3.3 MB (PDF document)
• Large print version 729.9 KB (PDF document)
• Easy read version 177.4 KB (PDF document)
• Co-chomhairle air Siubhal Saor is an-asgaidh air Busaichean airson Seann Daoine, Daoine air a bheil Ciorram agus Preantasan Ùra 803.9 KB (PDF document)
• Consultation paper on transport.gov.scot

Young Persons’ (Under 22s) Free Bus Travel

Find the latest information on free bus travel for under 22s.

All young people and children aged 5-21 years can apply for a card to access the Young Persons’ (Under 22s) Free Bus Travel Scheme.

You will need a National Entitlement Card (NEC) or Young Scot NEC with the valid free travel entitlement with you whenever you want to take the bus – otherwise you’ll have to pay for your trip.

Eligibility

If you live in Scotland and are 5-21 years old you are eligible for a card giving you free bus travel. You must be resident in Scotland for the majority of the year (at least six months). Children under 5 years old already travel for free on buses and don’t need a card.

Children and young people aged 5-21 years old will need a new or replacement National Entitlement Card (NEC) or Young Scot National Entitlement Card (Young Scot NEC) before hopping on board. Previously issued cards will not allow access to the scheme.

Learn more about how you can apply for the scheme .

If you’re aged between 16 and 21 and you already have an active NEC or Young Scot NEC issued prior to when applications opened on 10 January 2022, you can download free bus travel onto your existing card using the Transport Scot Pass Collect app. This means you may not need to apply for a new card to access your free bus travel.

Active cards are those received since 2016 – they’ll have a long number next to the ITSO logo and, if there’s a date of birth shown, it will be highlighted with a pink strip.

Find out more about how to download and use the app .

The Scottish Government is working in partnership with the Improvement Service (who are accountable for the NEC Scheme), National Entitlement Card Programme Office (who are responsible for the management of the NEC and support local authorities with the application process), and Young Scot to deliver the scheme.

The acceptable 'proofs' you can provide for the Young Persons' Free Bus Travel Scheme whether applying online or through offline application routes allow some extra flexibility - see Frequently Asked Questions for full details. Briefly, 'out of date passports' can be used to support an application and proof of residency documents may be dated within the last 12 months.

Asylum seekers and refugees

Asylum seekers and refugees aged between 5 and 21 can access the scheme. As with all others of those ages living in Scotland, they can apply for a National Entitlement Card (NEC) to access free bus travel.

To apply, find out what documents you can use to provide proof on the  NEC website .

The Application Registration Card (ARC), issued by the Home Office, can be used in conjunction with other information/evidence to apply for a NEC in person, through your local council.

When an application is made in person, officials can vouch for an applicant (or a parent acting on their behalf) by considering other information/evidence which cannot be used in the online application process.

The ARC is not accepted as proof of identity on its own, or for online applications as, under the UK Proof of Age Scheme (PASS), it cannot be used to establish evidence of identification online and there is no online equivalent to the help provided offline to support applications.

Where can I travel?

The scheme will give you free travel on any bus in any part of Scotland on registered bus services. You can travel on buses outside the area you live in using your card. Only a few services, such as premium-fare night buses and City Sightseeing buses, will not accept the card. Contact the bus company before you travel if you are unsure.

If travelling, you should always follow the latest advice to keep yourself and others safe.

Find out more about the benefits of free bus travel at freebus.scot

Using your card

Using your card is really easy. Make sure you have your card with you and then when you get on the bus, tell the bus driver where you are going, tap it on the electronic card reader to use it and the smart technology will do the rest.

If you are over 11 years old you can choose to apply for the Young Scot NEC. You can use it to save money with in-person and online discounts – with over 500 discounts in Scotland and over 100,000 deals across Europe. It also acts as proof of age. What’s more, you can collect points by taking part in activities and exchanging these for Rewards. Find out more at Young Scot’s website .

• You will need a new or replacement NEC or Young Scot NEC to travel for free on the bus.
• It’s your card and only your card – your friends can’t borrow it.
• Take good care of it – if you forget it or it gets damaged and doesn’t work, you’ll need to pay the fare.
• If your card has a photo, make sure it is up to date and it looks like you
• Always keep in touch with your family and friends to let them know where you are – it’s important to stay safe

The main thing is to have your card with you whenever you want to take the bus – otherwise you’ll have to pay for your trip. Parents or guardians – this means you too! Don’t forget your child’s card when they are travelling with you.

Read some top tips on planning your bus journey and what to expect at freebus.scot

Tickets for Concessionary Bus Travel

The National Concessionary Travel Scheme legislation does not require paper tickets to be issued to cardholders for concession journeys. The issuing of paper tickets to passengers is an operational decision at the discretion of the bus operator.

When a National Entitlement Card is placed on the ticket machine this will automatically record the boarding stage, to receive reimbursement for the journey the driver must accurately record the requested destination stage. Whilst this information forms the record of this journey, all concession claims undergo comprehensive audit compliance and analysis checks before any reimbursement is made.

Concerns of misuse of the Concessionary Travel Schemes should be reported to our 24-hour dedicated Freephone line 0800 328 5690. If you have any other questions about concessionary bus travel, please email us at [email protected]

How to apply

If you are 5-21 years old and live in Scotland you are eligible for free bus travel.

All children and young people aged 5-21 will need to apply for a new or replacement National Entitlement Card (NEC) or Young Scot National Entitlement Card (Young Scot NEC) to access free bus travel. Previously issued cards will not allow you access to the scheme. Children aged under 5 years do not need a card as they already travel for free on commercial bus services across Scotland.

However, if you’re aged between 16 and 21 and you already have an active NEC or Young Scot NEC, you can download free bus travel onto your existing card using the Transport Scot Pass Collect app. This means you may not need to apply for a new card to access your free bus travel.

The photograph on the card must look like you (if your NEC or Young Scot NEC includes a photo) to travel by bus for free.

Read the scheme’s full terms and conditions .

How to Apply

You can either apply online at getyournec.scot  or (if your child’s school uses it) on parentsportal.scot . If you’re applying online, you may find it useful, before starting the application process, to download or look out the documents as outlined on  getyournec.scot  that you will need. You can apply using a smartphone/tablet or a computer depending on your preference, and if you don't have scanned copies of your documents, you can take photos of your proofs during the application process using a smartphone/tablet. Alternatively you can apply directly with your local council. 

• If you are aged 16-21 you must apply for a new NEC yourself
• A parent, guardian or carer must apply on behalf of 5–15 year olds and provide approval for them to travel for free by bus
• Children under 5 years old do not need a card as they already travel for free on commercial bus services

To aid applications made through getyournec.scot , videos have been made which walk you through the online application process step-by-step:

• How to apply for a card for your child
• How to request a replacement card with free bus travel

What you will need to apply online

Before you apply online this is what you’ll need. You won’t be able to save and resume your application, so please get this information ready before you start.

Applying for a National Entitlement Card for yourself aged 16+? 

To apply you will need:

• a device with a camera or webcam (laptop/tablet/phone).
• to sign in using your mygovscot myaccount (click register if you don’t have one).
• a recent digital photo showing your head and shoulders.
• proof of identity (passport, driving licence, Young Scot card, Biometric Residence Permit or use your  Yoti account ).
• proof of address (such as Council Tax bill or bank statement).

Parent/guardian/carer applying on behalf of your child aged under 16?

• parent/guardian/carer proof of identity (passport, driving licence, Young Scot card, Biometric Residence Permit or use your  Yoti account ).
• parent/guardian/carer proof of address (such as Council Tax bill or bank statement).
• proof of your child's identity (eg. birth certificate (if under 11 only), passport, Biometric Residence Permit or Young Scot card).
• proof of your child's address (only if they live at a different address from you).
• a recent digital image of the child (if aged 11+) showing head and shoulders.

Proof of relationship

There are a number of documents you can use to show your relationship with your child:

• Full Birth Certificate (abbreviated certificates cannot be used), or
• Adoption Order, or
• Kinship Care Order, or
• Compulsory Supervision Order, or
• Residence Order, or
• Permanence Order, or
• Guardianship Order, or
• Parental Order, or
• Something that shows you’re the main person looking after your child. This can be a copy of either a letter from your local authority or a legal order.

View a full list of accepted proof of address and photograph guidelines

Once you have applied on getyournec.scot , you can log back in to check the status of your application – i.e. submitted, approved, rejected.

If you cannot apply online, there are many other ways to apply, please contact your local council .

In some local council areas, schools are coordinating applications on behalf of their pupils. Schools will contact parents or guardians and pupils directly if this arrangement is in place.

You should allow up to ten working days from the date your application was approved for your card to arrive.

Some local councils may not be able to offer in-person applications at all times so please do check their website or call before setting off.

Parentsportal.scot

If you live in any of the local council areas which uses parentsportal.scot you might find it convenient to apply for a new card through that route.

The local council areas are:

• Aberdeenshire
• East Renfrewshire
• North Lanarkshire
• Perth and Kinross
• Renfrewshire
• West Lothian.

The type of National Entitlement Card you apply for and whether you need approval from a parent or guardian depends on your age.

For those aged 11+ it’s your choice whether you apply for the Young Scot NEC or a standard NEC. Remember that Young Scot offers discounts, rewards, membership and is PASS accredited, meaning you can use a Young Scot NEC as proof of age. Find out more at Young Scot’s website .

Your responsibilities

• The NEC is only valid for use by the person it’s issued to – no one else can use it
• Take good care of your card. You must be physically carrying your card to access the scheme – if you forget it or it gets damaged and doesn’t work, you’ll need to pay the fare
• Always keep in touch with you family and friends to let them know where you are – it’s important to stay safe

Read the scheme terms and conditions .

Transport Scotland’s Pass Collect app

If you are aged between 16 and 21 and already have an active NEC or Young Scot NEC you can download your free bus travel using the Transport Scot Pass Collect app.

Active cards are those received since 2016 – they’ll have a long number next to the ITSO logo and, if there’s a date of birth shown, it will be highlighted with a pink strip. Please note, any NECs which are dedicated matriculation cards aren’t compatible with the app.

Download the Transport Scot Pass Collect app on the App Store or Google Play to add free bus travel your existing card.

How to download the app

You can use the app with an Android (version 6 or later) or iOS (version 6 or later) phone that is connected to the internet by Wi-Fi or mobile connection.

The phone must have Near Field Communication (NFC) compatibility. This is the same function you use for mobile contactless payments and is usually available on newer smartphones.

To download the app you will need to either be connected to Wi-Fi, or have 3G, 4G or 5G network connection with good mobile signal.

How to use the app

The app is simple and easy to use – just follow the instructions to read your card and download your free bus travel.

Watch this video from Young Scot for a useful step-by-step guide on how to use the app.

Collecting free bus travel on your card

When you place your card at the back of your phone to download your free bus travel – in the same way you would use contactless payment – it’s important to make sure you hold it in the right place.

This is different depending on whether you have an Android or iOS phone. The correct place is usually at the top for iOS and in the middle for Android, as shown below.

Checking what is on your card

The app can also be used by anyone to ‘read’ an NEC or Young Scot NEC to see what smart travel concession products/entitlements are stored on the card.

There are a few different products which might come up when you read your card. For under 22s free bus travel, you should look for one or both of the following:

• Bus Pass (Y)
• Bus Pass (Y 16+)

If you do not see one or both of the above when you read your card, you don’t have free bus travel on your card. You may have other products stored on your card,  such as Bus ID (Y) which indicates this is a young person’s card – but it is not free bus travel.

If you’re eligible, you can use the app to collect free bus travel on to your card. Otherwise, you will need to apply for a new NEC with free bus travel.

Top tips and more information about the app

• The app is not personalised. This means you can use it to download someone else’s bus travel to their card – for example you could also help your friends download free bus travel onto their cards too – or use their app to download your own.
• The app doesn’t store any personal information. You can read the full app terms and conditions for more information.
• Please remember, only those aged 16 and over can download free bus travel on to an existing NEC or Young Scot NEC.

If you’ve successfully downloaded the app onto your phone but you’ve received an error message when using it, the message will provide details about what has gone wrong and tell you what to do next or who to contact. Check the error messages below to help.

It looks like you’re offline

Check you are connected to the internet. If you’re connected via mobile network, check you have a strong signal.

The NFC (Near Field Communication) is disabled

If you have NFC, you may need to switch this on in your settings. NFC is the same service used for mobile contactless payment – you can check online or with your phone provider to see if your phone has this.

Card read but nothing to collect

Only those aged 16-21 who have an active NEC or Young Scot NEC can use the app to download free bus travel on to an existing NEC or Young Scot NEC.

Check your card is active – this means it was received after 2016, it should have a long number next to the ITSO logo and if your date of birth is on it, it will be highlighted with a pink strip.

If you have already applied for a new card, this means your application has nearly finished being processed and your new card will be with you soon.

If your card is active, and you have not already applied for a new card, please contact us using the details below as there may be an issue with your card.

Uh oh! Something went wrong, or we are busy

This message appears when there are too many people trying to collect bus travel at the same time. Please try again in a few minutes.

Remember to hold your card very still at the back of your phone. It’s important to place the card in the correct position, which is different depending on whether you have an Android or iOS phone. This correct position is usually at the top for iOS and in the middle for Android.

Oops that didn’t work – looks like your card is full

This message appears if you have lots of other travel tickets on your card. Please try again and if it still doesn’t work, please contact us using the details below.

Oops that didn’t work – we’re having trouble reading your card

This message usually appears if you have accidentally moved your card when holding it to the phone. Try again, putting your card on a table and holding your phone above it to help keep it steady. If you have a cover on your phone, please try removing this as well.

If it doesn’t work again after doing this, get in touch with us using the details below in case there is something wrong with your card (please remember to check you are using an active NEC or Young Scot NEC first).

Oops that didn’t work – looks like your card is not supported by this app

This usually appears if you try and read a smartcard that is not an NEC or Young Scot NEC – for example, a Subway or ScotRail card.

There is no supported app for this NFC tag

This usually appears if you try and read a smartcard that is an old version of the NEC or Young Scot NEC. If you are aged 16-21 and receive this message, you will need to apply for a new card. Find out how to apply for a new card .

Oops that didn’t work – looks like your card is expired

This usually appears when your card is no longer valid and means you will need to apply for a new card. Find out how to apply for a new card .

Oops that didn’t work – looks like your card is blocked

This usually appears when your card has already been replaced by a newer version. Please find your most recent card and use this instead.

If you cannot find the newer version, you will need to apply for a new card. Find out how to apply for a new card .

Get in touch

If the information above and the Frequently Asked Questions page don’t answer any queries you have about the app, or if you have issues using it, please contact us.

Don’t forget you can always use someone else’s Pass Collect app to check your card and download your free bus travel, if your phone isn’t compatible.

Email:  [email protected]

Staying safe

There’s lots to think about as you travel on the bus. Read some top tips for travelling safely at freebus.scot

There are no COVID-19 rules or restrictions in Scotland. There are things you can do to stay well and protect others, read these and find out more about Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Scotland.

Top tips for parents and guardians

Letting your young person use free nationwide bus travel may feel daunting. It’s a big responsibility and it can be difficult to know they’re safe. This is why we’re encouraging all parents and guardians to have conversations with their children about being safe and confident when travelling.

• It’s never easy to start a serious conversation, so try to make it relevant for you. It can be helpful to break up discussions into bite-sized chats over a period of time. That gives you both a bit of space to process what you’ve spoken about and avoids anyone feeling like they’ve been lectured.
• Have a chat about what they might expect to see while they are out, how to interact with the driver and other passengers, and how to use their card –especially if they are new to bus travel.
• Getting your child used to using bus from a young age can build their confidence and independence.

Driver training

We’ve been working closely with Barnardo’s Scotland to provide simple and clear guidance for bus drivers on protecting children and young people and keeping them safe from harm. This covers a huge range of issues and provides helpful advice for drivers on how to report issues if they arise.

Access the training for drivers .

Martin Crewe, Director for Barnardo’s Scotland said:

"Barnardo’s Scotland is proud to have worked with Transport Scotland to create a bespoke training package on child safeguarding for bus drivers across Scotland. Through training in general safeguarding and the signs of exploitation, we have helped to give bus drivers the confidence to recognise risks to young passengers’ safety and provided them with the knowledge of what to do and who to speak to if they have any concerns.”

Visit Barnardo’s Scotland for more information on their work and support.

Useful Contacts

Get help with applying or replacing your nec or young scot nec.

• Get help with GETYOURNEC.SCOT
• Get help with Young Scot
• Get help with parentsportal.scot

At your local council

Contact your local council

Some local councils may not be able to offer in-person applications at all times so please do check their website or call before setting off. Your local council will be able to advise you about their processing times.

Bus operators

If you have any questions about individual bus routes, services or journeys please contact the bus operator directly.

Get help with Transport Scotland’s Pass Collect app

For any questions about our app, or if you’re having any issues using the app, please contact:

Email:  [email protected] Address: Concessionary Travel and Smart and Integrated Ticketing, Transport Scotland, George House, 2nd Floor, 36 North Hanover Street, Glasgow, G1 2AD.

Enquiries about the free bus travel scheme

Transport Scotland is responsible for the policy and some aspects of the delivery of the Young Persons’ Free Bus Travel Scheme including the reimbursement of bus operators. The scheme is delivered through the National Entitlement Card (NEC). The Improvement Service is the accountable body for the NEC Scheme. It also operates and manages GETYOURNEC.SCOT  and parentsportal.scot .

The National Entitlement Card Programme Office supports the Scheme’s operational management and delivery under a Service Level Agreement with the Improvement Service. This includes support to all Scottish local authorities for the NEC application process, including for card issue, renewals and replacements. 

For general information on the Young Persons’ (Under 22s) Free Travel Scheme, or if there's anything you're not sure about, please contact:

Concessionary Travel and Integrated Ticketing Unit

Transport Scotland, George House, 2nd Floor, 36 North Hanover Street, Glasgow, G1 2AD.

Email: [email protected]

Policy and legislation

Legislation was approved by the Scottish Parliament in March 2021 enabling the introduction of a new statutory scheme to allow 5-18 year olds resident in Scotland to access free bus travel through the National Entitlement Card (NEC) and the Young Scot branded NEC (Young Scot card).

Following a further commitment made by the Scottish Government, legislation to allow the scheme to be extended to include those aged under 22 was approved by the Scottish Parliament in autumn 2021.

Read more about the scheme legislation and Impact Assessments .

Terms and Conditions

National entitlement card (nec) and young scot national entitlement card (young scot nec) must be in good working order.

• You – and parent/ guardians of cardholders aged between 5-15 years old – must ensure that your NEC or Young Scot NEC is kept in a good condition and presented to the bus ticket machine or other transport ticketing equipment in good working order i.e. undamaged in any way.
• If your NEC or Young Scot NEC is damaged so that it cannot be scanned on the bus ticket machine (or other transport ticketing equipment) you will be required to pay the full fare for your journey. You – and parents/guardians of cardholders aged 5-15 years old - will have to ensure that the appropriate bus fare or other transport ticket can be paid in full by cash or other alternative payment methods.
• If your NEC or Young Scot NEC is damaged it is your responsibility (or parents/guardians of young people aged between 5-15 years old) to request a replacement card from your local authority to allow access to free bus travel and any other transport discounts.
• If you need a new or replacement NEC or Young Scot NEC then please see the advice above on how to a new card may be requested by using GETYOURNEC.SCOT , parentsportal.scot or by contacting your local council

NEC/Young Scot NEC – Not Transferable

• Those eligible to access the young persons’ free bus travel scheme will be provided with a NEC or Young Scot NEC that is unique to them. Please carry your card with you when you are travelling.
• Cards should be kept safe and must be used by the named cardholder only to access free bus travel.
• Cards must not be used by or given to any other person for their use.
• Transport operators may refuse free travel to anyone where the image on the card doesn’t match the person presenting it.
• Transport Scotland has a fraud policy and any person(s) found to be misusing any aspect of the scheme (including allowing a card to be used by someone else) may have their entitlement to free bus travel suspended. Incidents of misuse may also be reported to the Procurator Fiscal.
• Cardholders (and parents/guardians of cardholders aged 5-15 years old) have a duty to report any changes of circumstances which may affect entitlement, including changes of address, to their local authority.

General Information

• Travel using a NEC or Young Scot NEC is subject to the normal regulations and conditions of carriage of each transport operator.
• Your card gives you the same rights as a full-fare paying passenger.
• The Young Scot NEC is part of the accredited proof of age card scheme PASS. This means that the Young Scot NEC can be used as proof of age.
• The photo on your card needs to be kept up to date to use it to prove your age for age restricted products or services. Your card must not be used by any other person.

Privacy Policy

This  Privacy Policy  outlines how we use, store and share the personal information we hold about you in connection with our national concessionary travel schemes.

App Terms and Conditions

Read the terms and conditions for the Transport Scot Pass Collect app .

Frequently Asked Questions

Getting your card, who can get free bus travel.

Every 5-21 year old living in Scotland for more than 6 months of the year can travel for free by bus if they have a valid National Entitlement Card (NEC) or Young Scot National Entitlement Card (Young Scot NEC).

If you are 5-15 years old, your parent or guardian must apply for you. If you are 16-21 years old, you must apply for your own NEC or Young Scot NEC.

Children under 5 years old do not need an NEC as they can already travel for free on buses.

How do I get free bus travel?

You will need a NEC or a Young Scot NEC. You will not be able to travel for free on the bus without one. If you already have a card, you will need to apply for a replacement which will allow free bus travel.

What will I need to get a National Entitlement Card (NEC) or Young Scot NEC?

You will need to provide proof of person (your name and age), proof of residence (where you usually live) and a photograph if you are 11 years old or over.

Parents, guardians or (in some cases) carers will need to provide proofs of person and address for both themselves and their child, as well as proof of the relationship.

The acceptable proofs you can provide for the Young Persons' Free Bus Travel Scheme whether applying online or through offline application routes allow:

• 'out of date' passports to be regarded as acceptable proof documents. The key criterion will be the physical likeness of the photo, with no timeframe restriction being applied to a passport expiry date
• a suitable proof of residency type document with either current date or dated within the last 12 months will be accepted.

Find out what documents you can use to provide proof on the  NEC website . If you are aged 5-15 years old, your parent/guardian/carer must apply for your NEC on your behalf. If you are aged 16-21 years old, you must apply by yourself.

Why do I need to provide proofs to apply for free bus travel?

We need to be able to check and verify who you are and whether you are eligible for the scheme, so we ask for proof of person (your name and age) and proof of residence (where you live).

For children aged 5-15 years old, we also need to carry out some extra checks for child safety reasons. We need to be able to verify who the person making the application is, the child is, and know that they are authorised to act on behalf of that child.

When doing this, we need to make sure we comply with identity verification standards and protocols, and with standards required by the UK National Proof of Age Standards Scheme (PASS) . Young Scot NECs carry the PASS logo and can be used as proof of age.

I live in Scotland for part of the year. Can I still get free bus travel?

If you live in Scotland for most of the year (at least 6 months), then you are eligible.

I already have a disabled National Entitlement Card (NEC) for the Older and Disabled Scheme. Will I need a new card?

It is your choice. Some local council areas provide discounted travel on rail, tram or subway with a Disabled Persons’ NEC, but you are likely to have to renew that card more often. Currently, a Disabled Persons’ NEC is valid for up to three years. Further information can be found on our website.

However, if you have a Disabled Companion NEC, allowing a companion to travel for free with you, then you should not change to the new scheme. The new scheme does not allow anyone to travel with you for free.

My application’s been rejected. Why?

You should be told why your application has been rejected and given advice on how to submit a successful application. Check to see that your details are all correct and your photo meets all the requirements. If that doesn’t work, get in touch with your local council.

How long do I need to wait for my new National Entitlement Card (NEC)/Young Scot NEC?

New or replacement cards generally arrive in the post within 10 working days from the date each application is approved.

If it has been more than 10 working days (2 calendar weeks) and you have not received your card remember, you can login to see the progress of your application or get in contact through getyournec.scot .

If you have applied for a Young Scot NEC through your school, the school can provide more information on when your card will be delivered.

My details aren’t right. What do I do?

Most cardholders can update their details at  getyournec.scot  or get in touch with your local council to have your details amended.

Why does my parent or guardian have to apply for a National Entitlement Card (NEC)/Young Scot NEC on my behalf?

If you are 5-15 years old, then your parent or guardian must apply on your behalf. This will make sure they are aware that you get to travel for free by bus, so that they can ensure you are safe and well. If you are 16 years old and over, you must apply yourself.

I don’t want to throw away my old National Entitlement Card (NEC)/Young Scot NEC. Can it be safely disposed of?

Yes it can. If you would like to  safely dispose your old card, you can send it to:

Transport Scotland George House 2nd Floor 36 North Hanover Street Glasgow, G1 2AD

Why do parents/guardians of 5 -15 year olds have to apply on their behalf?

If you are a parent or guardian of a 5-15 year old, then you must apply on their behalf. This will allow you to continue to exercise responsibility over their wellbeing and safety.

By applying on their behalf, you are agreeing for them to receive an NEC or Young Scot NEC that allows them to travel for free on any registered bus service in Scotland, as well as a limited number of local cross border services into northern England.

I am a parent, but my child doesn’t live with me. Can I apply on their behalf?

Your child can only have one National Entitlement Card (NEC) or Young Scot NEC. You should decide which parent or guardian applies on their behalf.

Young people who are 16-21 years old must apply themselves. If your 16-21 year old needs additional support with their application, please contact your local council.

I don’t want my child to have free bus travel. How do I make sure that they don’t get it?

You should not apply for the free bus travel scheme. Also, a parent or guardian must apply on behalf of 5-15 year olds. If you are applying on behalf of your child for a National Entitlement Card (NEC) or Young Scot NEC, do not ‘opt in’ to the free bus travel entitlement. This will allow them to receive their card without access to free bus travel.

Once a young person is 16 years old and over, they can apply for their own NEC or Young Scot NEC and get access to free bus travel.

My child will soon be five. How soon can I apply?

You can apply for a National Entitlement Card from two weeks before your child’s fifth birthday.

Will my child’s school be arranging to help apply for cards, including getting parental approval?

Your local council will let you know if they are offering to place bulk orders for National Entitlement Cards (NEC) or Young Scot NECs in your area. These come in three types:

• a photoless NEC (primary school age)
• a Young Scot NEC (secondary school age).

My child is 16 (or older) and needs help to apply. Can a parent or guardian, do this on their behalf?

You should contact your local council if you need additional support with the application process.

I don’t read English. How do I apply for free bus travel for my child?

Please contact your local council to find out more and get support.

Should I get a Young Scot NEC or standard NEC?

If you are over 11 years old you can choose to apply for the Young Scot NEC or a standard NEC. If you choose a Young Scot NEC, you can use it to save money with in-person and online discounts – with over 500 discounts in Scotland and over 100,000 deals across Europe. It also acts as proof of age. What’s more, you can collect points by taking part in activities and exchanging these for Rewards. Find out more at  young.scot/card .

Is GETYOURNEC.SCOT new?

No, GETYOURNEC.SCOT has been available since July 2020. Thousands of people have already used it to apply for their NEC to access the Older and Disabled Persons’ Free Bus Travel Scheme or order a new or replacement Young Scot NEC. This has now been extended to enable people to apply online for the Young Persons’ Free Bus Travel Scheme.

Why do you use biometric scans during the online application process?

GETYOURNEC.SCOT checks proofs digitally during the application process. A face scan is used to make sure that the person submitting the application is the same person as on the identity proofs supplied. It’s a way of replicating the in-person application process. Biometric scans are only used when applying online, not when making in-person applications.

Can I save progress on my online application as I go along?

Yes, you can save and return to an incomplete application on getyournec.scot

Can you make the application process simpler?

We continually review the application process to make it as straightforward as we can. However, we must also make sure that we meet child safety requirements, and comply with identity verification standards, protocols and PASS standards.

We have made video guides to GETYOURNEC.SCOT which take you through the online application process step-by-step.

You can also ask for help if you run into problems when applying through GETYOURNEC.SCOT.

I can’t apply online, how do I get a card?

If you cannot apply online, there are other ways to apply provided by your local council, such as face-to-face, in-person applications or, in some cases, through schools. Please contact your local council for more information.

I don’t have a passport or driving licence. How do I apply?

If you don’t have proofs such as a passport or driving licence, you can apply directly to your local council.

There are other documents you can use as proof of person if you don’t have a passport, driving licence, Yoti account or birth/adoption certificate. A full list of acceptable documents is on the  NEC website .

Why do I need a new NEC/Young Scot NEC to get free bus travel?

Your new card will have the free travel entitlement digitally encoded.

All bus journeys made under the scheme must be recorded so that the Scottish Government can reimburse operators for the fare. Tapping your NEC or Young Scot NEC on the ticket machine each time you travel makes this possible.

This also helps keep card holders safe as once you’ve tapped, the driver knows that you are eligible for free bus travel. This is important if you are 5-15 years old as your parent, guardian or (in some cases) carer must approve you to travel for free by bus.

Will applications be prioritised based on who needs to make essential journeys?

All applications submitted will be processed and there is no prioritisation of one person’s application over another.

Due to the ongoing impact of COVID-19 on staffing levels, some local councils may not be able to always offer in-person applications and applications may take longer to process. Please contact your local council to find out how you can apply before setting off.

If you have questions or concerns about the application process that cannot be answered on this website

For online, get in contact through getyournec.scot

For offline, please contact your local council .

How do I use my National Entitlement Card (NEC)/Young Scot NEC on the bus?

In most cases, you place your card on the card reader machine next to the bus driver. Ask the driver if you have any questions.

What do I do if my National Entitlement Card (NEC)/Young Scot NEC is not working?

For information on how to apply for a replacement card go to  getyournec.scot . You will need to pay any fares until the replacement arrives.

How much will it cost to get a replacement card?

Replacements are free of charge.

My friend has lost their National Entitlement Card (NEC)/Young Scot NEC. Can they use mine?

No. It is only for you and you should not share it with anybody else.

If your card has a photo, then please keep it up to date, as the bus driver might not let you travel if you do not look like your photo. The photo on your Young Scot NEC also needs to be kept up to date to use it to prove your age for age restricted products or services.

You can update the photo for free.

Can my access to free bus travel be stopped?

Yes, if you misuse the free bus travel scheme (such as letting someone else use your card), then you might have free bus travel removed from your card.

Can I load my National Entitlement Card (NEC)/Young Scot NEC on an app rather than carrying the card?

No, you must have your NEC or Young Scot NEC with you if you want to travel for free.

Where can I go under the free bus travel scheme?

You can travel Scotland wide on local and long distance bus services, apart from a few exceptions such as premium-fare night buses, city sightseeing buses, and some airport transfer services. Check with your bus operator if in doubt.

If you are travelling to England, you will be able to travel to Carlisle or Berwick-Upon-Tweed, but it cannot be used to travel within these towns.

Does my National Entitlement Card (NEC) allow me discounts or free travel on rail, tram, subway or ferry?

The free travel scheme is for bus only. However, there may be other discounts available.

More information on concessionary travel

Do children need to be accompanied by a parent or guardian to access free bus travel?

No. However, if you are in any doubt check with the bus operator before travelling. All bus operators have conditions of carriage which set out who can travel on their services and they may require younger children to be accompanied.

If you have problems using the card once you are on the bus

Contact  [email protected]

If you have a question about Young Scot services, contact  [email protected]

What are the terms and conditions for my National Entitlement Card (NEC)/Young Scot NEC?

You must ensure that your card is in good condition and presented to the bus ticket machine or other transport ticketing equipment in good working order (e.g. it’s not damaged).

Full terms and conditions

What measures are being taken to support children to travel safely?

We are undertaking an awareness campaign with partners to support children, young people, parents and guardians, and bus operators.

We have been working closely with Barnardo’s Scotland on how to safeguard young people travelling on the bus network, including providing training material for bus drivers. This will help drivers to recognise and respond to children or young people who need support while travelling on the bus network and help ensure that they can travel safely.

More information on staying safe

Transport Scot Pass Collect app

I’ve already applied for a new nec or young scot nec but it hasn’t arrived yet. can i use the app.

If you’ve already applied for a new card, depending on where you are in the application process, you may be able to download free bus travel onto your current card so you can use it until your new card is issued.

However this will only work temporarily until your application is processed. This is because when your new card is issued, your old card will automatically be set to stop working. You can then recycle or dispose of your old card.

If you’ve applied for a new card and your application has now been processed but you’ve not received it yet (for example, it is in the post), then you may not have free bus travel available to download via the app. But don’t worry – this means your new card is coming.

If you have applied on getyourNEC.scot , you can log back in to check the status of your application.

What if my application for a new card has been approved and a new card is sent to me, after I have already used the app to get free bus on my existing card - will both work?

When your new card is issued, your old card will automatically be set to stop working and you can recycle or dispose of it.

If you would like to safely dispose your old card, you can send it to:

Why can’t there be an app instead of a card we can use on the bus – it would be much easier?

We recognise that there is an interest in an app based travel solution. Unfortunately, the compatible technology is not yet available to provide an app for concessionary travel, but we continue to monitor technology advancements in this area.

Why can’t Young Scot cardholders under 16 use the app?

For young people aged 5-15, a parent, guardian or carer must apply on for free bus travel on their behalf. This is to make sure the parent, guardian or carer knows that the young person is able to travel for free by bus, and can ensure their child is safe and well.

During the application process, it is important to verify who the person making the application is, who the child is, and know that the person making the application is authorised to act on behalf of that child.

As the app cannot store personal data, this information cannot be captured or verified. This means that for anyone aged 5-15, parents, guardians or carers will need to apply for a new card either online or through their local council.

I am turning 16 next week/soon – can I use the app?

Yes, the system will be updated regularly so that free travel will be available to collect on your 16th birthday. Remember that this only applies if your existing application has not been processed.

Can I use someone else’s card to collect my free bus travel?

No – your card is unique to you. To download your free bus travel you must use your own card.

Can I use someone else’s Transport Scot Pass Collect app to download my free bus travel?

Yes – the app will check your card with the details held on the system and will download the free bus travel for you, via anyone’s Transport Scot Pass Collect app.

Can my friend/child download their free bus travel using my phone?

Yes. The app will check their card details with the system and download the bus travel for them. You can only download the free bus travel for the intended person onto their card – you cannot download it onto your card, for example.

I couldn’t download the app from the Google Play Store or Apple Store. What should I do?

Check your smart phone is connected to the internet with good signal and you have space on your mobile device to download the app.

If you still cannot download the app your phone may not be compatible – it needs to be Android (version 6 or newer) or iOS (version 6 or newer) and have Near Field Communication (NFC) compatibility - the same function you use for contactless payment with your phone.

If you still don’t have access to the app, you can use someone else’s Transport Scot Pass Collect app to download free bus travel onto your card.

What if I have other tickets or money already loaded on my NEC or Young Scot NEC card?

The app will ignore these and download free bus travel onto the card as well.

In the unlikely event that your card is full (for example, you have lots of other travel products/entitlements already stored on your card) the app will tell you and you may need to remove some of the old tickets to free up space. You can do this by presenting your card to the relevant operators’ ticket or gate machine and it will clear them for you automatically, freeing up room for your bus pass.

Is any personal data held on the app?

• There is no data, personal or other, held or stored on the app.
• View the app terms and conditions .

How much data space does it take?

The app doesn’t take up too much space or take long to download. It’s around 100mb on Android and only 30mb on Apple - but you do need a good signal to download it (3G + or stronger).