If you have a problem with your mobility it can make it tough to get out and about. Getting to appointments or even just to buy your groceries can be an impossible task.
However if you struggle to walk you might qualify for a disabled parking Blue Badge. This allows people with disabilities or some health conditions park closer to their destination, whether it is a doctor’s appointment or just a day out.
It allows holders to park in disabled parking bays or even on double yellow lines. And along with making access easier the Blue Badge can be a money-saver as it often means they can park free of charge in disabled bays or car parks.
As long as the holder of the badge is in the car, it can be used in any vehicle you are travelling in. This means you can even use them when hiring a taxi.
A Blue Badge costs up to a maximum of £10 in England. It is £20 in Scotland but free in Wales. They are processed by local authorities which decide if you are eligible and set the price, reports Lancashire Live.
They usually last up to three years at which point the holder must reapply for a new one. There are two groups of people who can get a Blue Badge – some qualify automatically and others will be considered on an individual basis.
People who automatically get a Blue Badge
You automatically qualify for a Blue Badge if you are aged 3 or over and at least one of the following applies:
- you receive the higher rate of the mobility component of the Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
- you receive a Personal Independence Payment (PIP) because you can’t walk more than 50 metres (a score of 8 points or more under the ‘moving around’ activity of the mobility component)
- you are registered blind (severely sight impaired)
- you receive a War Pensioners’ Mobility Supplement
- you have received a lump sum benefit within tariff levels 1 to 8 of the Armed Forces and Reserve Forces (Compensation) Scheme and have been certified as having a permanent and substantial disability that causes inability to walk or very considerable difficulty in walking
- you receive the mobility component of PIP and have obtained 10 points specifically for descriptor E under the ‘planning and following journeys’ activity, on the grounds that you are unable to undertake any journey because it would cause you overwhelming psychological distress
If you have any score other than 10 points under descriptor E, in the ‘planning and following journeys’ activity of PIP you may still be eligible for a Blue Badge, but you do not automatically qualify. This includes if you have a higher score of 12. You will have to provide evidence to demonstrate your eligibility which will be assessed as part of your application.
People who may get a Blue Badge
You may be eligible for a badge if one or more of the following applies:
- you cannot walk at all
- you cannot walk without help from someone else or using mobility aids
- you find walking very difficult due to pain, breathlessness or the time it takes
- walking is dangerous to your health and safety
- you have a life limiting illness, which means you cannot walk or find walking very difficult and have a SR1 form
- you have a severe disability in both arms and drive regularly, but cannot operate pay-and-display parking machines
- you have a child under the age of 3 with a medical condition that means the child always needs to be accompanied by bulky medical equipment
- you have a child under the age of 3 with a medical condition that means the child must always be kept near a vehicle in case they need emergency medical treatment
- you are constantly a significant risk to yourself or others near vehicles, in traffic or car parks
- you struggle severely to plan or follow a journey
- you find it difficult or impossible to control your actions and lack awareness of the impact you could have on others
- you regularly have intense and overwhelming responses to situations causing temporary loss of behavioural control
- you frequently become extremely anxious or fearful of public/open spaces
How to apply
In England, Scotland and Wales you can apply on GOV.UK for a Blue Badge. There’s a different way to apply if you are in Northern Ireland. Visit this link for more details.
Your local council will decide if you are eligible for a badge. They cannot start the assessment process until they have all the necessary evidence.
It may take 12 weeks or longer to assess your application. If they decide that you are not eligible and you think that they did not take account of all the facts, you can ask them to consider your application again.
