Page 5 | To think that they make it purposefully impossible to apply successfully for an over 60’s bus pass?

GreekDogRescue · 2023-03-08T20:04:33+00:00

I am over 60 and have been trying to apply for my over 60’s Oyster card for some time now. I have my passport, my driving licence, utility bills, my NI number and inside leg measurement but the online form refuses to accept the photo of my passport. It also refuses to let accept my driving licence details. instead of asking for your passport or driving licence number like any ‘normal’ form, it wants all the tiny letters and symbols at the bottom, and they have to be put into 5 special boxes. it says I can download a form to take to a post office but gives no details of this mythological form. I went to a post office but they said they stopped doing over 60’s applications ‘ages ago’. I have paid my taxes all my life and am furious that this is being made so difficult. It is highly discriminatory as there will be many elderly people who just give up. None of my over 60 friends have managed to crack it either. I would like to sue London Transport for age discrimination 🤬 PS. I did manage to submit my passport application online but this is MUCH harder

ProposedWarning · 09/03/2023 08:14

I am not sure why OP is getting such a hard time. Many people struggle with online stuff for a variety of reasons and it’s not always straightforward.

I do think the lack of investment in transport the north/south west and other parts of the uk is disgusting.

Nolongera · 09/03/2023 08:15

kitcat15 · 08/03/2023 21:16

There’s free bus and Mersey trains in the NW from 60

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Yes you are right, I had forgotten Merseyside council pay for over 60s.

Capybaraaa · 09/03/2023 08:17

I think they want the mrz info because they must use the check digits to make sure you aren't lying or something. Which is odd because if you know how to check an mrz you know it would be easy to get the correct digits. My mum's was the same (up north and way past 60).

SlipSlidinAway · 09/03/2023 08:24

Had no problem getting my 60+ Oyster card online.

beanfeast · 09/03/2023 08:25

Look up Oystercard helpline. You can apply over the phone.

KimberleyClark · 09/03/2023 08:36

ArseInTheCoOpWindow · 08/03/2023 20:12

I think they do. Dh got told he could have it at 60. He never uses it. My friend got one at 60.

Its pointless really. Most places hardly have any public transport. Except London of course.

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Most cities have public transport.

ArseInTheCoOpWindow · 09/03/2023 08:38

I live in a massive city.

Bus service recently cut in half
Trains are Trans Penine Express which are appalling.

IDontWantToBeAPie · 09/03/2023 08:42

Hmm everyone I know has managed to get one successfully.

IDontWantToBeAPie · 09/03/2023 08:45

Have you taken the photo on your phone? If so put it into an online converter to JPEG as it may be in the wrong format. The. Put it into an image compressor.

Try doing that and see if it works.

Hangryasfuck · 09/03/2023 09:08

No sympathy from me. I did mine a few weeks ago and it was incredibly easy and arrived in less than a week.

From what I remember it’s the entire sequence of numbers/letters from the passport, if you can’t do it, just let someone else have a go.

Yesthatismychildsigh · 09/03/2023 09:18

ArseInTheCoOpWindow · 08/03/2023 20:12

I think they do. Dh got told he could have it at 60. He never uses it. My friend got one at 60.

Its pointless really. Most places hardly have any public transport. Except London of course.

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No it’s at state pensionable age in England. Different for other home countries.

maddening · 09/03/2023 09:34

ArseInTheCoOpWindow · 08/03/2023 20:15

Feel a bit peeved about public transport in London.

We have nothing in the north. Except fucking useless Trans Penine Express. And shite bus service. Why would l need a free transport pass? Where would l use it?🤨

Totally agree, and from town to town it is awful, if I want a train to go from northwich to Warrington- a 26 min drive I need to get a train to crewe, chester, runcorn or Liverpool to get a train to Warrington- 1 - 1.5 hours for a 26 min journey. Fine to get to the big cities from here, I can be in Liverpool in 30 mins, Manchester in 40, Birmingham in an hour, London in.1.5 hours, but locally it is a nightmare - my son's school is 3 miles away- a 9 min drive, by bus it is an hour and they are infrequent and u reliable.

MistyMountainTop · 09/03/2023 09:34

jannier · 08/03/2023 23:27

No that's not true most people I know have no compliment cars and self employed with vans are really struggling. I've been offered £350 for a car that cost £4000 no 7 seaters about for under £9000.
The scrappage scheme applied to disabled and third claiming UC and £1000 doesn't get you much nothing compliant. Going inside congestion zone means you will pay that too so best part of £25 plus parking of maybe £10 just to go for surgery at Hammersmith when you're not fit enough for 3 buses and a tube at 7.00 am.
Nurses, airport workers, bus drivers, shift workers living outside the M25 will have to pay to come in or get jobs outside the M25. Towns on the edge will lose trade from people who will drive away rather than come in. With rents for 2 bed flats being over £1200 a month what's the incentive to teach, nurse, GP etc to come here?

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The vast majority of petrol cars are compliant. And there are scrappage schemes for your non-compliant vehicles.

ArseInTheCoOpWindow · 09/03/2023 09:40

Totally agree, and from town to town it is awful, if I want a train to go from northwich to Warrington- a 26 min drive I need to get a train to crewe, chester, runcorn or Liverpool to get a train to Warrington- 1 - 1.5 hours for a 26 min journey. Fine to get to the big cities from here, I can be in Liverpool in 30 mins, Manchester in 40, Birmingham in an hour, London in.1.5 hours, but locally it is a nightmare - my son's school is 3 miles away- a 9 min drive, by bus it is an hour and they are infrequent and u reliable.

Yep, totally agree. To drive to Glossop from Sheffield where l live is about 20 miles. To catch the train to Glossop, you have to change at Manchester (35 miles away) Takes nearly 2 hours. Imagine that in the SE?!

Neededanewuserhandle · 09/03/2023 09:57

GreekDogRescue · 08/03/2023 21:19

@ilovesooty I ought still be ‘young’ enough to work but this process has aged me considerably.

I am loving your humour on all this - even if it is leading to grey jobsworths moaning about hyperbole (which they no doubt mispronounce as hyper-bowl).

Giggorata · 09/03/2023 10:30

🤣
well, this thread has just inspired me to apply successfully for my oldie pass, from my practically busless Shire, but according to the Gov page, I will be able to use it when I visit London. Huzzah!

Original poster

GreekDogRescue · 09/03/2023 10:46

@Softleftpowerstance
Cheer up luv.
No need to get your knickers in a twist old thing 🤪

OP posts:

ShipOfTheseus · 09/03/2023 10:49

ArseInTheCoOpWindow · 09/03/2023 09:40

Totally agree, and from town to town it is awful, if I want a train to go from northwich to Warrington- a 26 min drive I need to get a train to crewe, chester, runcorn or Liverpool to get a train to Warrington- 1 - 1.5 hours for a 26 min journey. Fine to get to the big cities from here, I can be in Liverpool in 30 mins, Manchester in 40, Birmingham in an hour, London in.1.5 hours, but locally it is a nightmare - my son's school is 3 miles away- a 9 min drive, by bus it is an hour and they are infrequent and u reliable.

Yep, totally agree. To drive to Glossop from Sheffield where l live is about 20 miles. To catch the train to Glossop, you have to change at Manchester (35 miles away) Takes nearly 2 hours. Imagine that in the SE?!

Indeed I can. My journey to work is 10 miles and it takes me about an hour and 15 minutes on public transport one way on a good day. That’s from my home in London to my work in London.

Original poster

GreekDogRescue · 09/03/2023 10:50

@Neededanewuserhandle Im glad someone appreciates it.
Strewth people like @Softleftpowerstance getting into a right state.
Must be exhausting being such a jobsworth 🤣

OP posts:

follyfoot37 · 09/03/2023 12:46

lieselotte · 08/03/2023 21:05

I thought people in London generally paid a lot less council tax than other areas? When I lived in Wandsworth it was hardly anything.

Personally I think it's outrageous that you get a free bus pass at 60. It should be 67 and rise in line with pension age. I suppose one justification might be to get people out of their cars in London where public transport is a genuine alternative, but I still think it's a bit unfair.

I don't know why prescriptions are free at 60, either.

Wandsworth council has been tory for ecer and have always had a v low council tax
We in north london have to sell our firstborn to pay our counil tax!

Wishawisha · 09/03/2023 12:55

lieselotte · 08/03/2023 21:05

I thought people in London generally paid a lot less council tax than other areas? When I lived in Wandsworth it was hardly anything.

Personally I think it's outrageous that you get a free bus pass at 60. It should be 67 and rise in line with pension age. I suppose one justification might be to get people out of their cars in London where public transport is a genuine alternative, but I still think it's a bit unfair.

I don't know why prescriptions are free at 60, either.

Yes still a bit less than most of the country.

Children travel free on TFL too which I know isn’t the case elsewhere also, sadly.

Wishawisha · 09/03/2023 13:03

follyfoot37 · 09/03/2023 12:46

Wandsworth council has been tory for ecer and have always had a v low council tax
We in north london have to sell our firstborn to pay our counil tax!

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I thought all areas of London typically pay slightly lower levels of council tax than outside of London though? I am in one of the higher council tax boroughs in London but I still think we pay a bit less than most non-London areas.

ilovesooty · 09/03/2023 13:34

Neededanewuserhandle · 09/03/2023 09:57

I am loving your humour on all this - even if it is leading to grey jobsworths moaning about hyperbole (which they no doubt mispronounce as hyper-bowl).

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Since that's directed at me, I know how to pronounce it so you can stuff your snide little dig. I might have replied earlier but I've been at work - despite being older than the whining OP.

Fitcat · 20/05/2023 16:59

I have also been having issues. My passport etc all got accepted, but it did not accept my card payment. Said the address attached to the card was different to the address on my application. It isn't. However I did wonder if I may have made a typo when putting my address however I was unable to view the details I had given to check, as I had not made my payment! A catch 22 situation! I went to the post office ready to make an in person payment. However they were clueless. Was told to bring some form with a bar code but could not tell me how to get this form! A bit annoyed at those not showing support to the poster. I understand that you may live outside London. Yes I know we have a much better transport system then most of the country enjoy. However we also have sky high costs for just parking your car especially if as I do I live in a flat so have to pay extra for parking also ULEZ and congestion charges etc etc. For that reason I don't have a car and as someone who is healthy so not a burden on the NHS still working and paying tax that helps pay for many services that I have no need to use I would like this one small advantage of turning 60 if it is not too big an ask from everyone!

Florissant · 20/05/2023 19:14

follyfoot37 · 09/03/2023 12:46

Wandsworth council has been tory for ecer and have always had a v low council tax
We in north london have to sell our firstborn to pay our counil tax!

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It recently changed to Labour.