Australian Parents residing in London for 4 months and Travel benefits within London

[Twins123]

Hi
I am pregnant with twins and my parents have recently arrived from Australia to help me for a couple of months (prob around 4m). I know that permanent senior residents in the UK are entitled to free travel on buses and the tube but does anyone know whether the same or any benefits are offered to EU citizens or AUs citizens while resident in the UK, as it getting quite expensive for them to travel anywhere on their AUS pension?

Thanks in advance

There is a freedom pass for older people available in London, but I think you have to get it from your local council- which implies you may have to be a council tax payer? Try calling your local borough council?

They might be able to get senior citizen railcards (I don't know if you have to be UK resident for those) but they wouldn't be able to apply for Freedom passes - you have to be resident in a London Borough to get one. Outside of London, travel discounts for elderly people are also based on being resident in the Borough. Which is fair enough really, given the council tax subsidises them!

If they're travelling in London though, bus fares are 90p each way with an Oyster card so not extortionate. Can you not help them out financially?

Senior citizens from outside London (even if resident in the UK) don't get free travel on the tube, tramlink, DLR, London Overground or National Rail. You only get that (via a Freedom Pass) if your principal residence is in a London borough. I know my mother (from Kent) has to pay whenever she's in London. Buses I think do work differently and senior citizens from elsewhere in the UK can use their own local bus passes in some way (I am hazy on the details).

I assume your parents have Oyster cards? If so the buses at least work out fairly cheaply.

Senior Railcard as mentioned by spicemonster -- will at least save them 1/3 on regular rail travel if they are doing any of that (it's £26, though, so they'd need to be expecting to do at least £80 or so of rail travel for it to be worth it).