Renewing Freedom Passes

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All change your Freedom Passes!

At the moment, you should carry on using your current Freedom Pass but you will need to renew your Pass some time between January and early March 2010. All current Freedom Passes will stop working on 31 March 2010.

The pass is normally renewed every two years to help prevent fraud but your new Pass will be different in a number of ways:

• your new style Pass will be valid for five years
• for additional security, your new Pass will include a photograph of you on the card itself rather than on a separate photocard, so you will need to produce a passport-style photograph of yourself before you apply
• your new card will take up to 10 working days to arrive and will be sent to you in the post.

Older Persons Freedom Passes will start to be renewed from 4 January 2010. From January 2010, you will be able to download the new style application form from the 'Freedom Pass website' (see below ) or pick one up from your local Post Office. Once you have filled in the application form you will need to take it to any Post Office during a set date (See 'When to apply') along with proof of your age, your address and your photograph.

We will contact current holders of the Disabled Persons Pass at the end of December 2009 or early January 2010 with an authorisation form. Once you have received your authorisation form you will need to take it to any Post Office during a set date (See 'When to apply') along with proof of your age, your address and your photograph.

We will contact current holders of the Discretionary Freedom Pass at the end of December 2009 or early January 2010 with an authorisation form. Once you have received your authorisation form you will need to take it to any Post Office during a set date (See 'When to apply') along with proof of your age, your address and your photograph. We will re-assess your entitlement to the Discretionary Freedom Pass within the 5 year period.

When to apply?

Freedom Pass renewals will be processed according to the following timetable:

• surnames that begin with the letter A/B/C/D/E should apply between 4-16 January 2010
• surnames that begin with the letter F/G/H/I/J should apply between 18-23 January 2010
• surnames that begin with the letter K/L/M/N/O should apply between 25-30 January 2010
• surnames that begin with the letter P/Q/R/S/T/U/V/W/X/Y/Z should apply between 1-6 February 2010

If you miss your week, please apply between 8-13 February 2010

Freedom Pass photograph

From April 2010 your photograph will become part of the new Freedom Pass. To make sure your photograph meets the required standard, it must be:

• Facing forwards, looking straight towards the camera
• Of your whole head and not have any of your chin, top of head or ears missing
• Of your full face with nothing covering it
• Of the your full head, without any head covering, unless worn for religious beliefs or medical reasons
• Quite recent
• Passport sized (45mm x 35mm)
• In colour and taken against a plain background, preferably against a pale plain background so that all your features are clearly distinguishable
• Undamaged, for example, by creases, staples, paperclips, or other marks
• With your eyes open and clearly visible. Reactor glasses may be worn so long as your eyes are clearly visible through the lens. Dark glasses are permitted if worn for medical reasons.

New applications

If you're making a new application now rather than renewing, you should visit  the  'Freedom Passes'  page