An individual may be eligible for a blue badge without the need for an assessment, if they receive the following Disability Benefits or have a Sight Impairment.

• Higher Rate Mobility Component of Disability Living Allowance (HRMCDLA).

You will need to provide the award letter dated within the last 12 months.

View a letter example here

Personal Independence Payment (PIP) at the required level

• 12 points for Planning and Following a Journey
• 8 points or more for the Moving Around
• View a letter example here

You will need to provide evidence of the award letter dated within the last 12 months showing how long Personal Independence Payment has be awarded for and how many points have been awarded. Please note that we cannot award a blue badge based on a combined score of the Moving Around Descriptor and the Planning and Following a Journey descriptor. If an applicant does not meet the required score for either of the above the applicant will not qualify under this automatic criteria.

• War Pensioner’s Mobility Supplement (not a war disablement pension).
• Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS). You have been awarded a lump sum benefit under tariffs 1-8 and certified as having a permanent and substantial disability which causes an inability or very considerable difficulty in walking.
• Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS). You have been awarded tariff 6 – Permanent Mental Disorder.
• Registered as Severely Sight Impaired/Blind or you have a Certificate of Visual Impairment (CVI) indicating that you are Severely Sight Impaired. Partially sighted people do not automatically qualify for a blue badge.

Discretionary Criteria

If you are not in receipt of the above benefits, you may qualify under the discretionary criteria, providing that supporting evidence can be provided.

SEVERE DISABILITY IN BOTH ARMS

A person who due to this disability, has considerable difficulty, or is unable, to operate all or some types of parking meter. This badge can only be used when they are the driver.

• People who regularly drive a non-adapted vehicle but are unable to operate, or have difficulty in operating parking meters or pay and display equipment because of severe impairments in both arms – for example Thalidomide related disabilities. In this circumstance, a blue badge will be issued at the discretion of the local authority. Evidence could include a driving licence coded with 40 (adapted steering) or 79 (vehicles with specifications).
• You have a severe disability in both upper limbs, regularly drive a motor vehicle but cannot turn the steering wheel by hand even if it is fitted with a turning knob. Evidence could include a driving licence coded with 40 (adapted steering) or 79 (vehicles with specifications).

HAS A PERMANENT AND SUBSTANTIAL DISABILITY WHICH CAUSES INABILITY TO WALK OR VERY CONSIDERABLE DIFFICULTY IN WALKING

• A person over two years old who has a permanent and substantial disability. This means they are unable to walk or have considerable difficulty walking. They need walking aids or even oxygen to walk a short distance such as half a length of a football pitch.

SEVERE COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT

• A person who is unable to plan and follow a journey because of a cognitive impairment and needs the help of someone else. Examples of this are Autism, Dementia, Learning Disability, Mental Health problem, Head Injuries, etc and need the help of someone else. Evidence should include one of the following:

• Registration on the local authorities learning disabilities register
• an appointment letter for a memory clinic
• a letter from a healthcare professional involved in your treatment.

A TERMINAL ILLNESS THAT SERIOUSLY LIMITS MOBILITY

• Evidence – SR1 form and supporting letter from a healthcare professional such as a Macmillan, Tenovus or St David’s Nurse that specifies how the illness has resulted in declining mobility. If an SR1 cannot be provided a discretionary application with supporting evidence should be considered. 

In these circumstances, blue badges will be issued at our discretion.

You will not qualify for a badge if:

• You do not meet any of the criteria listed above.
• You only experience walking problems when carrying objects, such as shopping.