Scottish National Entitlement Card

The Scottish National Entitlement Card (NEC) is a Scotland-wide smart card run by the Scottish Government that is predominantly operated as a concessionary travel pass. It can also act as Proof of Age for young people (Young Scot NEC) and access to civic services such as libraries and leisure centres depending on the local authority.

Each Scot is assigned a Unique Citizen Reference Number (UCRN) which the card system links each user to. Critics claim that this enables data to be tracked across the Scottish state. The UCRN itself may be linked to NHS register data and used for verification purposes, raising fears that the UCRN will form the backbone of a Scottish identity register and persistent identification of individuals across Scottish state datasets.

Concessionary Travel

The Scottish NEC offers certain disabled groups and persons aged 60+ access to free or discounted travel across various transport options.

Access to certain discounted options vary depending on where the pass was issued.

Eligibility Criteria

Disabled Cardholders

Main Cardholder

Entitlement for free bus travel with the NEC depends on being a Scottish resident, 5 years old or older and meeting one of the following criteria:

• Receiving Disability Living Allowance under the higher rate of mobility or higher/middle rate of care.
• Receiving the standard or enhanced rate of Personal Independence Payment.
• Receiving Attendance Allowance.
• Living in a care or residential home or hospital.
• Being a Blue Badge holder.
• Being profoundly or severely deaf.
• Having a visual impairment.
• Been told not to drive based on medical grounds.
• Having a mental illness, learning difficulty or personality disorder recognised under the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003 which has lasted for more than 12 months.
• Having a terminal illness.
• Having a progressive degenerative condition.
• Having lost one or more limbs.
• Being an injured veteran with mobility problems.
• Receiving a War Pensioner Mobility Supplement.

Companion Card

If the main cardholder meets any of the following criteria, they are also entitled for a Companion to travel with them and, usually, attracting the same discount as the main cardholder:

• Main cardholder receives the higher or middle rate of the care component of Disability Living Allowance.
• Main cardholder receives the standard or enhanced rate of daily living component of Personal Independence Payment.
• Main cardholder receives Attendance Allowance
• Main cardholder is registered blind.
• Main cardholder lives in a care or residential home and receive the higher or middle rate of the care component Disability Living Allowance or Attendance Allowance.

60+ Cardholders

To get a National Entitlement Card you must be:

• Aged 60+ and
• Resident in Scotland

Card issuing authorities

Aberdeen City Council Aberdeenshire Council Angus Council City of Edinburgh Council Clackmannanshire Council Comhairle nan Eilean Siar (Western Isles) Dumfries & Galloway Council Dundee City Council East Lothian Council Falkirk Council Fife Council Highland Council Midlothian Council Moray Council Orkney Islands Council Perth & Kinross Council Scottish Borders Council

Shetland Islands Council Stirling Council Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) - Issues cards on behalf of: East Ayrshire Council East Dunbartonshire Council East Renfrewshire Council Glasgow City Council Inverclyde Council North Ayrshire Council North Lanarkshire Council Renfrewshire Council South Ayrshire Council South Lanarkshire Council West Dunbartonshire Council Helensburgh and Lomond area of Argyll and Bute Council West Lothian Council

Concessions Available

Concessions available per Card Issuing Authority

Card Issuing Authority	Free		Discounted				Notes
	Bus / Coach Travel	Edinburgh Trams	Rail	Ferry	Taxi	Glasgow Subway
Aberdeen City	Yes - all local bus and scheduled long distance coach services (including the morning rush hour) but excluding premium fare night buses and City Sightseeing Buses. Valid on services that start/terminate in Carlisle and Berwick upon Tweed so long as service travels to/from Scotland.	No	TBC	TBC	TBC	No	Info TBC
Aberdeenshire			TBC	TBC	TBC		Info TBC
Angus			TBC	TBC	TBC		Info TBC
City of Edinburgh		Yes	TBC	TBC	TBC		Info TBC
Clackmannanshire		No	TBC	TBC	TBC		Info TBC
Comhairle nan Eilean Siar			TBC	TBC	TBC		Info TBC
Dumfries & Galloway			TBC	TBC	TBC		Info TBC
Dundee City			No	No	Conditions*		Taxicard
East Lothian			TBC	TBC	TBC		Info TBC
Falkirk			TBC	TBC	TBC		Info TBC
Fife			TBC	TBC	TBC		Info TBC
Highland			TBC	TBC	TBC		Info TBC
Midlothian			TBC	TBC	TBC		Info TBC
Midlothian			TBC	TBC	TBC		Info TBC
Moray			TBC	TBC	TBC		Info TBC
Orkney Islands			TBC	TBC	TBC		Info TBC
Perth & Kinross			TBC	TBC	TBC		Info TBC
Scottish Borders			TBC	TBC	TBC		Info TBC
Shetland Islands			TBC	TBC	TBC		Info TBC
Stirling			TBC	TBC	TBC		Info TBC
SPT Councils			Yes*	Yes*	No	Yes*	Rail - Disabled Cardholders: To be expanded; 60+ Cardholders: Off Peak discount
West Lothian			TBC	TBC	TBC	No	Info TBC

Young Scot NEC

Young Scot is a national organisation supported by the Scottish Government that offers support and advice to 11- to 26-year-olds. As part of this, the Scottish Government supports the free Young Scot National Entitlement Card and offers every 12- to 18-year-old the opportunity to sign up for it.

Concessions Available

The Young Scot NEC gives cardholders:

• authorised Proof of Age card for accessing age-restricted items including as alcohol and films.
• discounts for various local and national deals. Local discounts vary depending on each Local Authority but may include free leisure access for certain ages and free access to certain library services.

In addition, for young people aged 16- to 18-year-olds plus 19- to 25-year-olds who volunteer full time, there are the following transport-related discounts:

• 1/3 off most fares for Scottish rail journeys.
• bus discounts - 1/3 off single adult fares. With most bus operators. Some operators require a Young Persons Bus Concession card which is available from offices that issue Young Scot cards. Even if all bus operators in that area give concessions to Young Scot cardholders, you may ask for a Young Persons Bus Concession card to use in other areas
• two free return journeys for islanders to visit the mainland per year (access via vouchers sent to cardholders).