Anyone with a temporary health condition could be entitled to a Blue Badge, according to the Department for Transport
People with a physical disability, long-term health condition affecting their ability to walk safely, or hidden illnesses such as dementia, autism or Parkinson’s, may be eligible for a Blue Badge. This badge allows them to park closer to their destinations and offers free parking in disabled bays, along with other possible exemptions from parking restrictions.
However, those suffering from temporary health conditions could also be entitled to parking concessions. This follows an appeal by Liberal Democrat MP, Will Forster, to the Department for Transport to assess the “potential merits of introducing a temporary Blue Badge scheme”.
In a written response on Thursday, Roads Minister Lilian Greenwood, said: “The Blue Badge scheme is primarily about helping people with a long-term disability that affects their capacity to access the goods and services they need to use. Anyone may be entitled to a badge if they meet the eligibility criteria.”
She further added: “The Department for Transport has previously issued local authorities with advice on how they could use existing powers to provide locally determined parking concessions within their areas. For example, some local authorities grant parking concessions to assist their elderly residents. The same powers could be used to help those with temporary disabilities.”, reports the Daily Record.
The full guide on ‘people with severe temporary impairments: advice to local authorities’ can be viewed on GOV.UK here.
Currently, there are over 3.2 million Blue Badge holders in the UK, including 271,966 residing in Scotland. In many cases, individuals automatically qualify for the £20 parking permit. This includes those receiving the higher level of the mobility rate for Personal Independence Payment (PIP), Adult Disability Payment (ADP), Child Disability Payment (CDP) and Disability Living Allowance (DLA).
Applications for a Blue Badge can be submitted online, but the guidance suggests that individuals with a mental condition should contact their local council directly.
The guidance specifies: “If you have a mental condition that means you lack awareness about the danger of traffic, you cannot apply online. You should phone your local council’s Blue Badge team for a paper application form.”
It also offers the advice that individuals who don’t immediately qualify may need to undergo a mobility assessment and meet with a health professional. And whilst there’s no fixed timescale for processing new or renewed Blue Badge applications, it typically takes about 12 weeks. Upon processing, delivery generally occurs within 10 working days.
Local councils manage the Blue Badge application procedure and determine the fee; they can also inform you about how long processing might take.
Do I qualify for 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
What you need to apply for a Blue Badge
You will need to provide:
- proof of identity
- proof of address
- a recent head and shoulders digital photo
- your national insurance number (if you have one)
- contact details (phone number, email and postal address)
To prove your identity, you can provide a copy of either:
- birth or adoption certificate
- passport
- driving licence
- marriage or civil partnership certificate
- divorce or dissolution certificate
To prove your address, you can provide a copy of either:
- a recent council tax bill
- a recent letter from a government department such as Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)
- driving licence
- a recent letter from a school (if you are under 16)
Where can I utilise my Blue Badge?
Your Blue Badge permits you to park for free in certain restricted areas, including:
- At on-street parking meters
- In pay and display bays
- In disabled parking spaces
- On single and double yellow lines, provided there are no loading restrictions
Using your badge outside the UK
You can use your UK Blue Badge when travelling in some EU countries, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. This guidance provides a list of countries with links to pages that contain:
- information about parking for disabled people in the country
- disabled parking notices that you can print off and display with your Blue Badge
You do not have to do display a local parking notice, but it may help. You should note that:
- local parking rules may apply in different parts of a country
- some countries may have changed their rules since the pages we link to were published
What happens if my blue badge is rejected?
Your local council should inform you why you’re not eligible. You can request them to reconsider their decision if you believe they haven’t considered some crucial information.