Applying for or renewing a blue badge

All Blue Badge applications (new and renewals) are assessed on an individual basis against Department for Transport (DfT) guidelines. When you apply you may be asked to attend a walking assessment. The timescales are dependent upon the availability of assessment appointments so please allow plenty of time. All applicants normally have a decision on their application within 6 weeks although this can vary. Automatic applicants (see DfT guidelines) will have a considerably quicker process as their eligibility has already been confirmed.

To renew your Blue Badge you should make a note of the expiry date and apply four to six weeks before the badge expires. It is up to you to remember to renew in plenty of time as we deal with thousands of applications every year.

No, Blue Badges are NOT issued for temporary conditions and are generally only issued for permanent ones.

If you receive Disability Living Allowance at the higher rate for mobility, a badge can now be issued to cover this period which may be less than three years. Once this period is nearing an end you will need to complete an application for renewal.

Generally children under the age of two are NOT eligible for a blue badge. Children over two may qualify for a blue badge if they have severe mobility problems. Certain children under the age of three may be eligible if they have a disability due to a medical condition and need to travel with bulky equipment or be close to a vehicle for emergency medical treatment.

There are two types of eligibility: those people who automatically qualify and those people who qualify in the discretionary category.

You automatically qualify if:

• you are blind (severely sight impaired)
• you receive a war pensioner's mobility supplement
• you receive the higher rate of the mobility component of the Disability Living Allowance or Personal Independence Payment (PIP) with 8 points or more under the mobility category.
  

• You have a permanent and severe disability which means you cannot walk or can only walk with excessive difficulty.
  

You may be asked to attend a walking assessment. These are carried out by independent health professionals who understand the Department for Transport Guidelines and who will have a copy of your application form. They will talk to you about your disability and will ask you to carry out a walking assessment. You will be informed of the decision within a few days after the assessment.

• You have a severe disability in both arms
  
  To qualify in this category you must be a driver, drive an adapted car, and you must have a severe disability in both arms which means you are unable to operate, or have considerable difficulty operating a parking meter. You have to meet all these criteria to qualify.

You will not be eligible for a badge if:

• you have a condition that is considered to be temporary, for example, a broken leg
  
• you are awaiting an operation which should improve your condition or you are still recovering from recent surgery or treatment
• you have a condition that is considered to be intermittent
• you have a disability that is not considered to cause you inability to walk, or very considerable difficulty in walking
• children under two are not eligible as children of this age would generally require a pushchair. There is an exception to this, please see the section above on applying for your child
• people who are partially sighted do not automatically qualify
• people who suffer with physiological/behavioural conditions which do not directly cause inability to walk or considerable difficulty in walking

If you do not qualify for a Blue Badge you will receive a letter which will explain the reason your application was refused. If you wish to request a review of the decision either because you have additional information that needs to be considered or your walking has deteriorated please contact us.

The Blue Badge Appeals process applies to any discretionary applicant who has been refused and is explained below:

Stage 1 If you are refused you may request a review of your case by a Principal/Senior Officer. If you are refused without having taken part in an Independent Mobility Assessment this will normally be because your condition does not fall under the eligibility criteria and an assessment is therefore not appropriate. In some cases mobility assessments may be requested as part of the Stage 1 review. In every case a full explanation will be provided and you will be given opportunity to escalate the case to Stage 2.

Stage 2 At this stage you may request a review of your application by the Team Leader. This review will normally seek to identify any lapse in procedure when your application was handled. If you are still refused you may escalate your case to Stage 3.

Stage 3 At this stage you may request a review of your application by the Local Government Ombudsman (LGO). The LGO will review our procedural propriety to ensure we have adhered to the Guidance issued by the DfT, they will not decide on an applicant’s eligibility.

Right to re-apply If you have been refused a Blue Badge it is unlikely you will be awarded one on re-application unless your walking ability has deteriorated or you have since been awarded a benefit which makes you an “automatic qualifier” (see above). If neither of these apply, your re-application will not be accepted until at least a period of 6 months has elapsed since the final decision on your application.

You can report the misuse of a Blue Badge to us in confidence at [email protected].

We need to know as much detail as possible including:

• where the misuse occurred
• when the misuse occurred
• the Blue Badge serial number

We take all suspected fraud and misuse of Blue Badges seriously and will investigate all reports, contacting the badge holder directly for an explanation if appropriate.

Blue badge misuse can lead to fines of up to £1,000 and possible prosecutions.

Please be aware that some people who are eligible for a Blue Badge may not show visible disabilities. Due to confidentiality issues we cannot disclose details of ongoing investigations.

Misuse of a Blue Badge can be committed by the badge holder and by a third party.

Misuse by the badge holder

This includes:

• the use of a badge that is no longer valid
• the use of a badge that has been reported lost or stolen
• the use of a badge which a local authority has requested to be returned
• letting a friend or a relative use the badge
• the use of a copied badge
• altering the details on the badge (eg the expiry date)
• making a fraudulent application (providing false information on the application) or using a badge obtained fraudulently

Misuse by a third party

This includes using:

• someone else's badge (with or without the badge holder's knowledge) without the badge holder being present
• a badge belonging to someone who has passed away
• a copied, altered or made badge
• a stolen badge
• a fake badge
• a badge to get shopping for the badge holder
• a badge to run errands for the badge holder
• a badge to park after the badge holder was dropped off somewhere else
• a cancelled or expired badge