Merseytravel
Phone
Phone 0151 330 1000 for help with concessionary passes.
🎫 Disabled person's travel pass
Free travel on buses, trains and Mersey Ferries river crossings in Merseyside for people with a qualifying disability, including a learning disability. This guide explains who can get one, what evidence to collect (such as the EHCP and a letter from school), and how to apply.
✔ Checked October 2026🚌 What the pass gives you
- Free travel on buses, trains and Mersey Ferries river crossings in Merseyside, all day, every day
- Merseyrail trains as far as Chester, Ellesmere Port and Ormskirk
- Local buses anywhere in England, 9:30am to 11pm Monday to Friday and any time at weekends and on bank holidays
- For people who live in Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, St Helens or Wirral
Why it matters for post-16 transport: councils usually expect a young person to use a free disabled pass if they can, before offering other travel help. Getting the pass early, in Year 10 or Year 11, makes the move to college easier.
✅ Who qualifies
You must meet at least one of eight categories set by law. The condition must be long-lasting (at least 12 months) or permanent. Most of our students apply under Category F: learning disability.
Category ABlind or partially sighted
Category BProfoundly or severely deaf
Category CWithout speech
Category DDifficulty walking
Category EWithout the use of both arms
Category FLearning disability
Category GWould be refused a driving licence (medical)
Category G2Severe mental health condition
A diagnosis alone isn't enough. A diagnosis such as autism or ADHD doesn't automatically qualify. The evidence must show the young person meets one of the categories, for example a learning disability that significantly affects their learning, development or independence.
📂 What evidence to send
For Category F (learning disability), send at least one of the following. Sending more than one makes an application stronger.
| Evidence | Where to get it | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) | Your copy from the council, or ask the school SENCO | Accepted by Merseytravel as proof that a learning disability started before adulthood. Send the most recent final version. |
| Educational psychologist report | School SENCO, or the council's educational psychology service | The report should show complex needs. |
| Social services support plan | The young person's social worker or the council's children's or adult social care team | Useful if the young person has a social worker. |
| PIP award letter | DWP (the letter sent when PIP was awarded) | Must show 8 points or more in one of: communicating verbally; reading and understanding signs, symbols and words; budgeting decisions; or engaging with others. |
| DLA award letter | DWP | Higher rate mobility component. |
| Letter from a medical professional or specialist service | Consultant paediatrician, learning disability team, or specialist service | Must be dated within the last 12 months and clearly describe how severe the learning disability is. A GP letter that just says "learning disability" is not enough. |
A letter from school: a signed, dated letter on school headed paper, sent with the EHCP, describing the learning disability and how it affects the young person, gives Merseytravel a fuller picture. On its own it may not be enough, so always include the EHCP or another document from the table. The application form also has a box asking which school the young person attends, their academic ability and the extra help they get. Fill this in carefully.
🪜 Step by step
- Get a copy of the EHCPFind the most recent final EHCP. If you can't find it, ask the school SENCO or the council's SEND team for a copy. Photocopies or scans are fine, so you never send originals.
- Ask school for a supporting letterEmail the SENCO or headteacher using the template below. Ask for the letter to be on headed paper, signed and dated. It must be dated within the last 12 months.
- Add any other evidence you haveAn educational psychologist report, a PIP or DLA award letter, a social services support plan, or a letter from a paediatrician or learning disability team.
- Proof of identityA copy of a birth certificate or passport, a photocard driving licence, or a proof of age card with the PASS hologram.
- Proof of addressOne document dated within the last 12 months, such as a council tax statement, utility bill, DWP letter, bank statement or tenancy agreement. If the young person has nothing in their own name, ask Merseytravel which document to use.
- A colour photoA recent, clear, passport-style photo facing the camera with no sunglasses. If you send a paper photo, write the young person's name and date of birth in capital letters on the back.
- ApplyOnline is quickest and works for all categories. Or use the full paper form and take it to a Merseytravel Travel Centre, or post it to Merseytravel Concessions, PO Box 1976, Liverpool L69 3HN. A parent or carer can fill in and sign the form on the young person's behalf.
- Wait for the passDecisions usually take around 4 to 6 weeks, and the pass is posted out. Merseytravel may contact you for more information.
✉️ Letter templates
1. Email to school asking for evidence (for parents and carers)
Subject: Request for a supporting letter: Merseytravel disabled person's travel pass
Dear [SENCO or Headteacher],
I am applying for a Merseytravel disabled person's travel pass for my [son / daughter / young person], [full name], in [year group / class].
Merseytravel asks for evidence of a learning disability, and any letter must be dated within the last 12 months. Please could the school provide:
1. A copy of [name]'s current EHCP, and
2. A short letter on school headed paper, signed and dated, describing [name]'s learning disability and how it affects their learning, independence and travelling.
Thank you for your help.
[Your name]
[Phone number]
2. Supporting letter (for school staff)
Edit the words in [brackets] to describe the young person accurately. Only include what is true and supported by school records.
[School headed paper]
[Date]
To: Merseytravel Concessions, PO Box 1976, Liverpool L69 3HN
Re: [Full name], date of birth [DD/MM/YYYY]
Application for a disabled person's travel pass (Category F: learning disability)
I confirm that [full name] is a pupil at [school name], [a special school for pupils with learning difficulties]. [He / She / They] [has / have] an Education, Health and Care Plan, a copy of which is enclosed (dated [date]).
[Name] has a [severe / significant] learning disability which began in childhood. It has a significant impact on [his / her / their] learning, development and independence. For example:
- [understanding and reading signs, timetables and written information]
- [handling money and planning a journey]
- [understanding danger, including road safety]
- [communicating with unfamiliar people and asking for help]
- [coping with unexpected changes]
At school, [name] receives [describe support, e.g. a high staff ratio, a personalised curriculum, adult support in the community, travel training].
Please contact me if you need any further information.
Yours faithfully,
[Signature]
[Name]
[Role, e.g. Headteacher / SENCO]
[School phone and email]
⚖️ If the application is refused
- You can appeal within 28 days of the decision.
- You must send new official evidence dated within the last 12 months. Merseytravel can't review a decision just because you disagree with it.
- Send it by email, in person at a Travel Centre, or by post to Merseytravel Concessions, PO Box 1976, Liverpool L69 3HN.
- An independent panel reviews appeals, sometimes with an independent medical expert.
📍 Living in Halton
Halton isn't part of Merseyside, so Halton residents apply to Halton Borough Council for a disabled person's bus pass instead. Send the application to a Halton One Stop Shop, or by email or post, with copies of ID and proof of address. The council's evidence sheet lists what it accepts. The same evidence, such as the EHCP and a school letter, is useful.
📞 Contacts
Your council travel page
Travel help
Find out what other travel help your council offers after 16.