To provide a rubber composition for a tire bead filler achieving high hardness without aggravation of heat generating properties, suppressing temperature dependence of elastic modulus, and excellent in durability, operation stability and crack resistance of a tire, and to provide a pneumatic tire using the same.

A diene rubber, carbon black, a cardanol oligomer, a novolac type phenolic resin, hexamethylene tetramine and a melamine derivative are blended and each composition of the diene rubber, a specific surface area and a blended amount of the carbon black, a blended amount of the cardanol oligomer, a blended amount of the novolac type phenolic resin, a blended amount of the hexamethylene tetramine and a blended amount of the melamine derivative is optimized in specific ranges.