Labour was under fresh pressure last night to rule out scrapping free travel for pensioners after a Treasury minister failed to commit to it.
Helen Whately, the shadow transport secretary, wrote to her opposite number Louise Haigh to ask her to deny that she would abolish the National Bus Pass and the London Freedom Pass.
It came after Treasury minister James Murray refused to rule out ending pensioner travel perks in the budget this autumn.
On Monday, Lord Hendy, the rail minister, was asked to promise the benefit would not be restricted to the poorest pensioners.
He played down the likelihood of a change, but said given the state of the public finances he could not offer a ‘concrete commitment for all time’.
Labour was under fresh pressure last night to rule out scrapping free travel for pensioners after a Treasury minister failed to commit to it (file image of London buses)
Helen Whately (left), the shadow transport secretary, wrote to her opposite number Louise Haigh (right) to ask her to deny that she would abolish the National Bus Pass and the London Freedom Pass
In London, the Freedom Pass allows someone aged 66 to travel without charge on the bus, Underground and Overground
A spokesman for the Department for Transport slapped him down and said he had ‘misspoken’, adding that ministers were ‘committed’ to it and there were ‘absolutely no plans to get rid of it’.
However, Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds did not rule it out, and Mr Murray also declined to say it would not happen.
Older people in Britain are offered discounted bus fares when they reach a certain age.
The amount of financial support they receive varies in different parts of the county.
In London, the Freedom Pass allows someone aged 66 to travel without charge on the bus, Underground and Overground.
And in other parts of the UK, anyone over 60 can get free bus travel.
Last night, Ms Whateley wrote to Ms Haigh to say that it was ‘immensely cruel’ to allow speculation about the benefit to continue.
‘Pensioners across the country remain hugely worried about how they will cope with the Government’s recent cut to the winter fuel allowance,’ she wrote.
‘If scrapping their bus passes is not in your plans, then to allow this speculation to continue is immensely cruel.
Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds did not rule out ending pensioner travel perks in the budget this autumn
‘If however it is, then I implore you to reconsider. The vast majority of pensioners are not living the life of luxury you appear to think they are. These cuts will heap further pain on top of losing a fuel allowance that so many of them rely on.
‘It’s not just the financial impact of these bus passes. For many older people they represent their last remaining ticket to independence, to amenities and to their community.’
Yesterday, Treasury minister Mr Murray failed to confirm that travel concessions for pensioners will continue following Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ budget on October 30.
Tory MP Kit Malthouse told the Commons that the remarks by Lord Hendy had caused ‘significant alarm in my constituency and others’.
Referring to the winter fuel debate, he said: ‘Notwithstanding the discussion we’re having today, could you just reassure us that travel concessions for pensioners will continue under a Labour Government?’
Tory MP Kit Malthouse (pictured) told the Commons that the remarks by Lord Hendy had caused ‘significant alarm in my constituency and others’
Mr Murray replied: ‘The Chancellor will take all decisions.’
He added: ‘Let me make one really important point to (Mr Malthouse) as we approach the budget on October 30, we know there are going to be difficult decisions that we have to take in the budget on October 30, and frankly, that is the direct consequence of the decisions taken by him and his colleagues when they were in government.’
Also yesterday, Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said there were ‘no plans’ to scrap the perks.
‘There are no plans to change any of that, but of course, we have a Budget coming up, we have to wait for the Budget for all those kinds of decisions. We do have to make decisions we didn’t have to want to make,’ he told LBC.
‘I’d say, don’t speculate on any of this. You have to wait for a budget for all the decisions on that. Don’t get into endless speculation in an attempt to create a story.’
Asked if the perks would be scrapped, a spokesman for the Prime Minister said ‘no’, adding there were ‘no plans’ to scrap the benefit.
