Getting a Blue Badge Parking Permit
Find out who can get a Blue Badge, how long it is valid for, how to apply for a Blue Badge, and what to do if you move house, or your badge is lost or stolen.
Who can have a Blue Badge
Some people qualify for a Blue Badge automatically without having an assessment. Other people may also be eligible but need to evaluate first to see whether their mobility impairment is severe enough. The evaluation makes sure that only people who need a badge get one.
People who do not need to have an assessment
You are automatically eligible for a badge if you are over two years old and either:
- receive the higher rate of the mobility component of Disability Living Allowance
- are registered blind
- receive a War Pensioner’s Mobility Supplement
You do not need to assess if any of this applies to you.
People who need to have an assessment
You may also be eligible for a badge if you are over two years old and either:
- have a permanent and substantial disability which means you cannot walk, or which makes walking very difficult
- drive a motor vehicle regularly, have a severe disability in both arms, and are unable or would find it very difficult to operate all or some types of parking meter
If you are a parent of a child who is less than two years old, you may apply for a badge for your child if they have a specific medical condition which means that they either:
- must always be accompanied by bulky medical equipment which cannot be carried around without great difficulty
- need to be kept near a vehicle at all times so that they can, if necessary, be treated in the car or quickly driven to a place where they can be treated, such as a hospital
If you do not automatically qualify, your eligibility has to be assessed by your local council. The council ask some questions to help them decide whether or not you can have a Blue Badge. The panel may also ask your permission to get further information from your doctor or ask you to see an independent health professional, like a physiotherapist.
Using the badge as a driver or passenger
You do not need to own a car or drive one. The badge is personal to you. You can use it in any vehicle you are travelling in as a driver or a passenger.
How long a Blue Badge is valid for
Typically badges are issued for three years.
Blue badges will be reviewed every three years by the local council. The reason for a review is that some impairments and conditions can improve, and the badge holder may no longer need a badge. Even if the mobility impairment is permanent, the review ensures that the council has the correct details of the badge holder, for example, the address.
Contact your council about six weeks before your badge expires to ask for a new application form.
The Blue Badge is valid for less than three years in some circumstances.
For children under two, the badge is issued for a maximum of two years, ending on the day after their second birthday.
Suppose you have a Blue Badge because you get the higher rate mobility component of Disability Living Allowance or War Pensioner’s Mobility Supplement. However, the duration of your benefit award is less than three years. In that case, the badge is valid for as long as that period.
How to apply for a Blue Badge
Local councils are responsible for issuing Blue Badge parking permits. Contact your council to apply for a Blue Badge.
They will send you an application form which you will need to fill in and return with two recent passport-sized photographs of yourself. Some councils charge an application fee of up to £2.
You may be able to begin your Blue Badge application online through your local council’s website.
Enter details of where you live to find your local council website where you can apply for a Blue Badge or find out more.
Please note that this service is only available for councils in England.
Refusal of a Blue Badge.
You cannot appeal against the council if it is deemed you do not qualify for a Blue Badge.
However, You may ask the council to reconsider the case if the panel did not consider all the vital information at the assessment. You can also ask the board to look at the decision again if you feel that your mobility problems have become more severe since the evaluation.
Moving house
It would be best to let the council know of any change of address.
If you are moving to another council area, tell the council that issued your badge your new address. Then, contact your new council about six weeks before your badge expires and ask them for a new application form.
If you are moving within the same council area, you still need to let the council know your new address for administrative purposes.
What to do if your Blue Badge is lost or stolen
If your badge or time clock is lost, contact the council who issued the badge or time clock. The council can issue you with a replacement.
The applicant must report a stolen badge to the police first. The police will give you a crime number. Tell the council what that number is when you ask for a replacement.
Returning the Blue Badge
If for any reason, the badge is no longer needed, you must return it to the council that issued it.
It says on the front of the badge which council that is.
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