Blue badges are parking permits that help disabled people access the places they need to get to.
You will automatically qualify for a blue badge if:
- you receive the higher rate of the mobility component of the Disability Living Allowance
- you receive the mobility component of Personal Independence Payment and have eight points or more under the ‘moving around’ activity
- you receive the mobility component of Personal Independence Payment and have 10 points specifically for ‘Descriptor E’ under the ‘planning and following journeys’ activity on the grounds you are unable to undertake any journey because it would cause overwhelming psychological distress
- you receive a War Pensioners’ Mobility Supplement
- you’ve been awarded a lump sum benefit at tariffs 1-8 of the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme and certified as having a permanent and substantial disability which causes inability to walk or very considerable difficulty in walking
- you use a vehicle for disabled people supplied by a government health department
- you are registered blind (or severely sight impaired)
You may qualify if:
- you have a severe disability in both upper limbs, regularly drive a motor vehicle but cannot operate, or have considerable difficulty in operating, all, or some types of parking meter
- you have been certified by an expert assessor as having an enduring and substantial disability which during a journey, causes you to:
- be unable to walk
- experience considerable difficulty whilst walking, which may include considerable psychological distress
- be at risk of serious harm when walking or pose a risk of serious harm to any other person when walking
- you use a vehicle for disabled people supplied by a government health department.
Infants
If you are applying for a child under the age of three, they must:
- have a medical condition that requires bulky medical equipment that cannot be carried around with a child without great difficulty
- always require immediate access to a vehicle for treatment
You will also need to provide a letter from the child’s consultant to support the application.
A child who is between two and three can also be assessed under the Walking Ability criteria if they do not meet the general criteria for those under three.