welfare.ie Free Travel Companion Pass Ireland : Department of Social & Family Affairs

Name of the Organization : Department of Social & Family Affairs
Type of Facility : Free Travel Companion Pass
Country : Ireland

Website : http://www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/204_Free-Travel.aspx

Free Travel Companion Pass :

If you are aged 66 or over and you permanently live in the state, the Free Travel Scheme allows you to travel for free on most CIE public transport services and the public transport services offered by a large number of private operators in various parts of the country.

Related : Department of Social & Family Affairs Fuel Allowance Ireland : www.statusin.org/8116.html

Certain people with an incapacity under age 66 and who permanently live in the state may also qualify for Free Travel.

CIE services are provided by Iarnród Éireann, Bus Éireann and Dublin Bus. You can get a list of the private operators who take part in the Free Travel Scheme from the Free Travel Section. See section 3 for contact details.

You can travel for free on journeys entirely within the State and on cross-border journeys between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. See appendix 2 for details.

If you are aged 66 or over, you can travel for free on journeys within Northern Ireland. See page 21 for details.

Free Travel and Public Services Card:
The Government is introducing a Public Services Card which will allow people to access a range of government services and payments. The Public Services Card will eventually replace the Free Travel Pass. Customers are currently being invited on a phased basis to register for the Public Services Card Free Travel. It is envisaged that all customers will be registered for the Public Services Card Free Travel within the next 18 months.

If you are entitled to free travel, when you are issued with your new Public Services Card it will also be your Free Travel Card. The card will have F-T printed in a yellow octagon in the top-left-hand corner of the card.

You must show your Public Services Card to the travel operator when you are travelling on public transport. When you receive your new Public Services Card, you must return your old free travel pass to the Department of Social Protection.

There are 3 categories of Free Travel Pass:
If FT-P is written on your Public Services Card, you personally are entitled to free travel.
If FT+S is written on your Public Services Card, your spouse, civil partner or cohabitant can join you for free when you are travelling (they cannot travel for free alone). Your spouse, civil partner or cohabitant’s name will not be on the card.
If FT+C is written on your Public Services Card a companion (over 16) can travel with you for free (because you are unable to travel alone for medical reasons).

How do I get a Free Travel Pass?:
You will get a Free Travel Pass automatically at age 66 if you are getting a pension from this Department and permanently live in the State.

If you are under age 66 and permanently live in the State, you will get a Free Travel Pass automatically when you are awarded an Invalidity Pension, Blind Pension, Disability Allowance or Carer’s Allowance.

In all other cases, you must apply for a Free Travel Pass by completing registration form FT 1.

You can get a registration form:
** on the Internet at .welfare.ie
** text to 51909 (see details in section 12)
** from your local Social Welfare Office

Send the completed form with any required documents to:
Free Travel Section
Social Welfare Services
College Road
Sligo.

LoCall:
1890 500 000 (from the Republic of Ireland only)
+353 71 915 7100 (from Northern Ireland or overseas)

Note:
The rates charged for the use of 1890 (LoCall) numbers may vary among different service providers.