Apply for a disabled person’s bus pass plus companion

If you need someone to help you use public transport you can apply for a disabled person’s bus pass plus companion 'Orange Stripe + C'

Who can apply

Residents of Hampshire with disabilities can apply. However, if you reside within the unitary authorities of Southampton or Portsmouth, please direct your application to the respective councils.

This is an enhancement to the national scheme and is available to Hampshire residents for journeys within the county.

There is no upper age restriction for the disabled person’s plus companion bus pass. You are eligible if you are 5 or above and unable to travel unaccompanied based on your disability rather than your age and meet any of these criteria:

  • are blind or partially sighted
  • are profoundly or severely deaf
  • are without speech
  • have a disability, or injury, which has a substantial and long-term effect on your ability to walk
  • have no arms or have long-term loss of the use of both arms
  • have a severe learning disability, including an arrested state of development from birth. See information in section 3
  • are a member or veteran of the Armed Services who has been seriously injured in service
  • would be refused a driving licence due to physical fitness (section 92 of the Road Transport Act 1988). This includes disabilities that will cause someone to be a danger to the public if they drive and only for people who have been or would be refused a driving licence. If your condition or disability would not result in the DVLA refusing to grant you a driving licence, you are not eligible for a pass under this category. Note: misuse of drugs or alcohol are not covered by the definition of disabled person.

Read the Concessionary Fare terms and conditions.

To find out how we use your data see our Privacy Notice.

Documents you need to provide

To qualify for a Companion bus pass, (identified by a +C on your pass) you will need to provide one of the following as evidence of your disability, your name and Hampshire address must be the same as provided on your application and your evidence.

The documentation should correspond to the category of your application. Ensure that all submitted evidence is recent, not exceeding 12 months, or it should specify the anticipated duration of your disability or indicate that an improvement is not anticipated.

  • Hampshire County Council Blue Badge number or please provide the issuing authority name and the badge number to allow us to check your record
  • award letter for the Higher Rate Mobility Component of Disability Living Allowance
  • award letter for a War Pensioners Mobility Allowance
  • award letter for guaranteed income payment for tariff levels 1-8 under the 2005 Armed Forces Compensation Scheme
  • a copy of your letter from the DVLA giving notice of long-term refusal or withdrawal of driving licence on medical grounds
  • if the DVLA letter is not available provide medical evidence from a qualified healthcare professional specific to your disability or relevant medical condition which states reasons you are unable to drive
  • full award letter for personal independence payment (PIP) where you have been awarded at least 8 points or more for the PIP "Moving Around" or "Communicating Verbally" activities (let us know if you receive 8 points or more for other categories) An evaluation of the page that displays your points per category is required
  • audiology evidence demonstrating severe hearing loss – 70-95 dB OR registered with HCC Deaf Services as Deaf (BSL British Sign Language)
  • Certificate of Visual Impairment (CVI)

Companion evidence: In addition to providing evidence of your disability, you need to provide a healthcare professional’s report e.g. physiotherapist, podiatrist, nurse etc. containing their contact details confirming your disabilities and inability to travel alone. Alternatively provide a complete copy of the PIP award letter showing all pages confirming you receive 10 or more points (so that we can check your award against our eligibility criteria).

The types of disability which should enable you to claim the statutory minimum bus travel concession are those which are permanent, or which have lasted at least 12 months.

Learning disability - Easy read help

Information about bus passes and application form for people who have learning disabilities.

Information about bus passes – easy read version

Apply for a bus pass – easy read version

Apply for a disabled person’s bus pass plus companion

If you apply on behalf of a child aged 5 or above, the evidence you submit needs to show the child's name. A child's school or hospital appointment letter is acceptable for proof of address.

You will need to provide:

  • a recent, colour, passport sized photograph of yourself, or child if applying on their behalf (if applying by post print your name and date of birth on the back). Your photograph, which must show your head and covered shoulders only, be without head wear (except on religious or medical grounds) and be front facing and alone, will be printed on the bus pass so that you can be identified as the pass holder when travelling. We cannot accept photographs that are obscured or marked.
  • proof of Hampshire address (e.g. copy of your driving licence or if dated in the last 12 months a utility bill

If you don’t have the above documents, you will need to provide alternative evidence. Your name and address must be the same as provided on your application form.

  • Due to systems limitations, it is not possible to apply online for a companion bus pass. However, it is possible to apply for a disabled person’s bus pass online via the disabled person’s page.
    NOTE: If you are applying for the Companion element of the disabled person’s pass you will also need to indicate this by marking your evidence with a C+ and provide, in addition to your disability evidence, all pages of your current PIP award showing 10 or 12 points for moving around or planning and following a journey or healthcare professional evidence, e.g. physiotherapist, podiatrist, nurse etc containing their contact details confirming your disabilities and inability to travel alone.

Upon receipt we will review your application and if successful the bus pass will be posted to you within 10 working days. We will contact you if further information is required.

Send a completed application form and all the relevant documents to: Bus Pass Team, PO Box 696, Fareham, PO14 9PD.

Please do not send original documents, they will not be returned to you.

When you can use your bus pass

The disabled person’s bus pass plus companion entitles you to:

  • free all day travel on bus services for pass holder and companion on journeys starting in Hampshire (not Portsmouth and Southampton) regardless of where you are travelling to.
  • free travel between 9:30am to 11pm Monday to Friday and all day at weekends and on public holidays on bus services throughout the rest of England. London buses displaying a roundel will accept a disabled person’s pass at any time.

We have a reciprocal arrangement with Wiltshire Council that companions travelling with a Disabled Person’s Bus Pass plus Companion holder can travel for free on journeys between Wiltshire and Hampshire:

  • 9:30am to 11pm Monday to Friday
  • all day at weekends and on bank holidays.

You can use your bus pass on Park and Ride services registered as local bus services (though you must still pay for the parking).

If you travel anywhere else outside of Hampshire your companion will have to pay fares.

This pass gives free travel for a companion of your choice.

Companions only get free travel when they travel with you. They can’t travel for free on their own.

Restrictions

Disabled person’s bus pass plus companion are not valid on:

  • reserved seat services i.e. coaches
  • temporary services running for less than six weeks (e.g. for special events)
  • taxis, rail services, ferries, shopmobility, voluntary car schemes
  • Hedge End Park Minibus Service
  • Community Transport services
Is your bus pass due to expire?

If you have changed address without notifying the bus pass team, complete the change of address form, or email [email protected] or call 0300 555 1376, 8:30am to 1pm Monday to Friday. You will need evidence of your new address.

If you have not received a new pass by the expiry date of your current pass please email or call the bus pass team.

Renewing your bus pass

Hampshire County Council Disabled person’s bus passes are automatically reissued four weeks prior to the expiry date of the current one. If your pass is not automatically reissued this means you either need to confirm your address or to provide updated proof of disability before your bus pass can be reissued. When you renew your bus pass online you will be asked to upload documents showing evidence of your address or disability. Refer to section 2 for disability evidence needed when applying for a companion pass.

Inform the bus pass team if your appearance, address or circumstances has changed as you do have an option to change your current concession if needed. Also notify us if the person for whom the pass has been issued, no longer needs it.

To validate a change, you’ll need to provide evidence. For instance, if your name has been altered, a marriage certificate or a legal document that displays both your previous and current names would be required.

Submit proof of your new address at least eight weeks prior to the expiry of your current pass. Failure to do so may result in additional costs if the pass is dispatched to an incorrect address.

Moving house

If you are moving out of Hampshire email [email protected] to tell us. You will need to apply to your new authority to replace your bus pass.

If you have moved into Hampshire, and are currently using a previous authority bus pass, you will need to apply as a new customer to Hampshire County Council.

Hampshire County Council bus pass holders who move house since the issue of the current pass are reminded to advise the County Council of their new address by completing the change of address notification form (for current Hampshire County Council customers only). You need to:

  1. complete the online change of address form
  2. provide evidence of your new address - this can be a copy of your driving licence, a utility bill dated within the last 12 months or an official letter with a recognised letterhead showing your address dated within the last 12 months.

There are three different ways to submit your evidence. Your evidence can be:

  1. uploaded when you complete the online change of address form (photos of documents are accepted)
  2. emailed to us at [email protected] as an attachment, ensuring you include your name, OLD address and the new address in the email
  3. posted to Bus Pass Team, PO Box 696 Fareham PO14 9PD ensuring you include a note with your name and OLD address details with your new address evidence.

You will NOT receive a new bus pass when your current bus pass expires unless this evidence is provided.

Lost, damaged or stolen pass

If your pass is not scanning it is likely that the internal electronic chip has been damaged and means you will need to pay for a replacement pass.

If you believe your bus pass is lost or stolen:

  • contact the bus company to ask if someone has handed it in
  • check your home and personal belongings. Many customers find their pass after they report it missing

The cost of a replacement pass is £19. Your lost pass is cancelled when payment is taken for a replacement and refunds cannot be made if your pass is subsequently found. Bus drivers will withdraw cancelled passes.

If the pass has been stolen, the replacement is free if you reported the crime to the police. We will ask you to tell us the crime reference number.

We will send the replacement pass to you within 10 working days.

For Hampshire County Council customers only

Apply by credit or debit card

If your address has changed since your current bus pass was issued, please advise the Bus Pass Team of your new address by completing the change of address notification form before ordering your replacement bus pass. Allow 5 working days before applying for a new bus pass, to allow time for your address details to be updated.

Replace a lost, damaged or stolen bus pass

Apply by post

To apply and pay by post, print out and complete the application form.

Send it to us with a cheque or postal order for £19 made payable to Hampshire County Council. Write your name and date of birth on the back of the cheque. A photo is not required, but you can send a new one if you want to.

IMPORTANT: If you have moved address since your current bus pass was issued and have not notified the County Council of the new details, then you need to submit an online change of address notification form before posting your concessionary bus pass replacement application form to us with your payment of £19.

Post to:
Bus Pass Team
PO Box 696
FAREHAM
PO14 9PD