If you’re entering your 60s or have already passed the milestone, then reduced bills, travel savings, and discounts at cinemas and attractions are just some of the things you can enjoy.
07/11/2023
Money & Benefits
17 Min Read
Written by Tim Wilkinson for Handicare
There are many advantages to being older, and the fantastic variety of discounts available to those in later life are just some of them.
It doesn’t matter if you have just turned 60; you will find discounts here to help you. Whether shopping for essential items or simply saving on attractions and travel, this guide has collected some of the best over 60 discounts in the UK and deals for pensioners to help you take advantage of the savings available.
Do you travel a lot on the train? An over-60s railcard will help you save money. Every year, National Rail offers an annual senior discount card that offers a third off all rail fares as well as discounts on days out, holidays and even theatre tickets.
Over 60s can buy this railcard for £30 for one year or £70 for three years, and it saves an average of up to £76 a year for older people.
Some of its special offers can be seen below:
One of the best over 60 discounts available is the pensioner’s bus pass. Those in England can get a bus pass to enjoy free travel once they reach the state pension age.
In Wales, the offering is even better, as you have access to a bus pass when you are 60. In Scotland, those over 60 can get free bus travel via the National Entitlement Card.
If you’re over 60 and living in one of the 32 London Boroughs, you can ride the capital’s public transport for free with the 60+ Oyster Card.
The Freedom Travel Pass also allows older adults who reach pension age to travel free across London and enjoy free local bus journeys nationally, too. For those over 60s outside of London who have a bus pass, you’ll be able to use it on London’s buses for free.
With the Arriva Club 55 and the ScotRail Club 50 card, people can get discounted travel on local buses in Wales and Scotland. Scotland also offers free travel on national bus services, and in some areas, older people can enjoy free rail travel.
With the National Express Senior Coach Card, older adults can save a 1/3 on Standard and Fully Flexible coach fares to hundreds of towns, cities and airports across the UK.
With the card, there are no restrictions on-peak and off-peak travel times, so you can travel when it suits you best, including on public holidays, bank holidays and weekends.
Interrail is a fantastic European rail pass, but over 60s can get even more discounts, with 10% off rail fares. The Pass lets you explore 33 countries by train, and if you want to travel Europe and see some of the sights, a pass like this is a great way to save money.
Over 60s can benefit from discounts from a variety of airlines, and if you’re going on holiday, it is something you should look out for when making a booking.
Airlines like British Airways have previously offered 25% off their year-round fares to the UK and Europe, while other airlines such as Air France, Delta, and American Airlines also offer special discounts for older people.
When booking a hotel, you might find that the hotel offers discounts for over 60s. For example, RH Hotels has discounts for over 60s in locations like Benidorm, Calpe, Gandia, and Peñiscola y Vinaros. They also offer free wine and water at meals if you are over 60.
Other over 60 hotel discounts:
If you love exploring areas of outstanding natural beauty or old buildings, then the National Trust Senior Membership is something you can benefit from.
The Senior Membership is offered to over 60s who have been a member of the National Trust for five years out of the previous 10. Those who qualify will get a hugely discounted membership, which is 25 per cent off the normal adult rates. It’s just £63 for a senior membership, while a joint membership is just £104.40.
With this, you can explore more than 500 places, and below are just a few of the attractions you can enjoy:
READ ALSO: 5 National Trust locations to visit in Gloucestershire
With English Heritage, over 65s can take advantage of a cheaper membership, and this gives you unlimited access to over 400 historic sites across the UK.
It costs £63 for an annual senior membership, while a regular individual adult membership costs £69. A joint senior membership is £96 compared to a general joint adult membership, which costs £120.
As well as being able to access all the historic places, members can get free entry for up to six children, a free handbook for planning your days out, free or reduced entry to events occurring throughout the year, a subscription to a quarterly magazine and special offers on other brands.
The Royal Horticultural Society has some fantastic locations across the country, perfect for anyone who loves gardens and plants. They offer a discounted life membership for over 60s, helping individuals save over £500, and joint members can save even more. It’s a great saving that also includes all the benefits of being an RHS member, such as free entry to their five amazing gardens.
Got some time on your hands? Sometimes, there is nothing more appealing than relaxing with a good film. Going to the cinema can be a real treat, especially for movie lovers, and can be enjoyed alone or with friends.
There are various cinema ticket discounts available to those over 60 years old, including:
Many museums in the UK offer discounts for over 60s, so it’s always worth double-checking with the museum you would like to visit. While some museums are free to enter, they can offer discounts on special events.
Some museum discounts for over 60s include:
Love going to the theatre? Many local and national theatres offer concessionary tickets for over 60s, providing great discounts for select performances and sometimes annual senior memberships. For example, at the National Theatre in London, everyone over 60 years old can save money on midweek matinees with £20 off £66 and £56 tickets for shows in the Lyttelton and Olivier theatres. At the Dorfman Theatre, higher priced tickets for shows are reduced to £36 for midweek matinees.
The Royal Shakespeare Company offers discounted tickets for those over 65 on selected performances. You can get a 20% discount on all seats for Monday and Tuesday evening performances and all midweek matinees. You can purchase a maximum of nine tickets per transaction using this discount.
There are other theatres that offer ticket discounts for over 60s, and here is a list of some of them:
There are discounted rates available for one of the UK’s biggest attractions. The Royal Botanical Kew Gardens offers discounted tickets for over 65s on both advanced and standard tickets. So, if you are looking for a lovely day out or somewhere nice to bring the grandchildren, this is a great option.
While 80% of golf clubs do not offer discounts for over 60s, there are a select few who do provide a reduced membership. You can discover if there is a golf club near you that offers a membership discount via Golf Support. There are locations from Glasgow and Liverpool to Bristol and London with discounts to take advantage of.
Football ticket prices can be expensive, especially in the Premier League, but many clubs across the UK do offer discounts for senior citizens. Below is a snapshot of clubs which offer discounts on football tickets for over 60s in the 2023/24 season.
Eating out can be very expensive but there are lots of special discounts available to over 60s, with food chains offering special memberships and schemes to seniors. Here are some of the over 60 restaurant discounts in the UK:
You can also check out voucher websites like VoucherCodes where you can find great discounts on some of the UK’s biggest restaurant chains. Even if there isn’t one aimed at over 60s specifically, you will be able to take advantage of the savings.
READ ALSO: Every premier league team ranked by accessibility
Over 60s are entitled to a free annual eye test, and you should book your appointment as normal and then notify the staff that you are eligible for a free test on arrival.
In England, you might be entitled to free NHS dental care, but this is dependent on what benefits you receive and your circumstances.
Over 60s in Wales can make the most of free dental examinations. Residents in Wales should notify the receptionist as they might not know that you qualify for the free prescription.
Specsavers is one of the UK’s largest opticians, and they offer customers who are over 60 a special 20%discount off all glasses and contact lenses when you buy any single pair of glasses from its £69 range or above. This discount also includes extra options such as treatments to protect your lenses or sun protection.
This means you could save over £17. Other opticians also offer discounts for over 60s, so it is worth checking what you could be entitled to.
The Boots Advantage Cards give over 60s large discounts on their range of products, including 8 points for every pound you spend on Boots’ own-brand products.
Every point you earn is equivalent to a penny you can spend in-store, and once you’ve saved up a few points, it can save you a lot of money on different products.
Boots also offer over 60s savings on glasses or prescription sunglasses of 10%. Hearing-aid wearers can also get free hearing aids test and save 15% on all hearing aids.
Looking to stay healthy but don’t want to fork out too much for a pricey membership? The good news is that there are discounts available for over 60s at various gyms across the country. Speak to one of your local gyms or visit their website to see what they offer.
For example, Total Fitness has an over-65 membership, providing people over 65 with maximum access to their gym for a reduced price. The discounted membership includes access to the swimming pools at Total Fitness, the fitness classes, and the heat treatment areas.
Everyone Active is another leading gym operator that offers a senior membership aimed at those over 66, providing access to all of their facilities and classes.
Better Health offers a senior discount membership. If you’re 66 and over you can access a range of gyms, swimming pools and fitness classes, all at a competitive price.
Freedom Leisure operates more than 100 leisure, and cultural venues across the UK. The senior membership is for customers over 65 years of age, and they offer three membership options:
You can become a member of the Ramblers Association at a discounted rate if you receive only the state pension as your source of income. Membership entitles you to thousands of walking routes, unlimited access to guided group walks, savings on gear, and much more. This concessionary rate applies to people who are 60 years of age or above.
Iceland became the first supermarket to offer special discounts for over 60s, providing 10% off their shopping every Tuesday for customers who are over 60. There is no minimum spend, and customers can also use the discount at The Food Warehouse branches. To get Iceland over 60 discounts, you just need to show proof of age, such as a driver’s licence or bus pass.
B&Q offer deals on products every Wednesday. All you have to do is join the B&Q Club, and you’ll get emailed vouchers, exclusive offers, receive 10% off key cuttings and van rental discounts.
With ATS Euromaster, over 60s can find great savings on various car-related items. When you join their Club 60, you can receive year-round discounts on the likes of MOTs, air con recharge, and wheel alignment, as well as 15% off servicing, brakes, steering and suspension, exhausts, batteries and more.
Asda is one of the largest supermarkets in the UK, and it is offering soup and a bread roll for £1 to over 60s as well as unlimited tea and coffee in any of its 205 cafés. This initiative was initially going to just run over the winter months, but the supermarket chain has extended it for the foreseeable future.
In partnership with Caffè Nero, Waitrose has a hot drink offer for members of its myWaitrose loyalty scheme, which is free to join. You will need to bring your own cup to avoid being charged for a reusable one, and make a purchase – but there’s no minimum spend to get your free drink.
To help with energy payments, those born on or before 25 September 1956 can receive between £250 and £600 from the UK government – this is known as the ‘Winter Fuel Payment’. You can also receive a ‘Pensioner Cost of Living Payment’ of between £150 and £300 – this extra amount is only received between winter 2023 and 2024. You can see how much you will get here on the UK government website.
If you receive the guaranteed element of Pension Credit, you can get a discount on your winter electricity bill. Known as the Warm Home Discount Scheme, it runs every year and can provide £150 off your bill between October and March. You might be able to receive a discount on your gas bill instead if your provider supplies both gas and electricity.
If you are over 75, and you, or your partner living at the same address, are receiving Pension Credit, you can get a free TV licence. Then you can watch all your favourite programmes on the likes of BBC and ITV without having to worry about paying for it. You can find out more information about free TV licences here.
We love our pets, but the vet bills can really add up, especially when money is tight. Ask your local vets to see if there are any discounts for over 60s. One way you can save money as a pet owner is with the Dog Trust, which offers 50% off their membership for over 60s, which includes unlimited access to 24-hour emergency advice, 3rd party public liability insurance, and a card that guarantees Dog Trust will take care of your dog should you pass away.
Age UK offers handyperson services at more than 70 locations across the country in order to help older people who need extra help with small, practical jobs around the home. If you need a job doing, this is a great option to consider, as it will likely save you money and make sure the job is done safely.
If you are a grandparent who helps care for a grandchild, you could be entitled to tax credits in the amount of £250 per year. You are eligible if you spend time each week caring for a grandchild under the age of 12. You can find out more information here, as well as eligibility criteria.
There are many discounts available for over 60s across all aspects of life, from travel and shopping to health and fitness. Hopefully, the discounts in this article help you save money.
For more tips, guides, and advice, make sure to visit our news page.
This article is brought to you by Savaria Lifts (UK) Ltd (trading as Handicare), in partnership with Age UK Trading, offering a wide range of home mobility products, including stairlifts, homelifts, and bathing solutions. Articles that appear on this website are for information purposes only and are up to date as of the time of publishing.
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