DWP full list of everyone eligible for a Blue Badge immediately and how to appeal

You may have grounds to appeal if your Blue Badge application is denied

Certain UK residents living with a disability or medical condition may be unaware that they are automatically entitled to the Blue Badge scheme, which enables certain motorists to park nearer to where they need to go.

According to GOV.UK, the badge costs up to £10 in England and £20 in Scotland, while it’s provided free of charge to residents in Wales. It typically remains valid for up to three years, requiring holders to reapply before expiry.

You’re automatically entitled to a Blue Badge if you’re aged 3 or above and at least one of the following circumstances applies:

1. You receive the higher rate of the mobility component of the Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
2. 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)
3. You are registered blind (severely sight impaired)
4. You receive a War Pensioners’ Mobility Supplement
5. 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
6. 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

GOV.UK states: “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.”

You might qualify for a badge if one or more of the following circumstances apply:

1. You cannot walk at all
2. You cannot walk without help from someone else or using mobility aids
3. You find walking very difficult due to pain, breathlessness or the time it takes
4. Walking is dangerous to your health and safety
5. You have a life-limiting illness, which means you cannot walk or find walking very difficult and have a SR1 form
6. You have a severe disability in both arms and drive regularly, but cannot operate pay-and-display parking machines
7. 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
8. 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
9. You are constantly a significant risk to yourself or others near vehicles, in traffic or car parks
10. You struggle severely to plan or follow a journey
11. You find it difficult or impossible to control your actions and lack awareness of the impact you could have on others
12. You regularly have intense and overwhelming responses to situations causing temporary loss of behavioural control
13. You frequently become extremely anxious or fearful of public/open spaces

Your local council decides whether you’re entitled to a badge. The procedure can take 12 weeks or longer. Should your application be rejected and you believe the decision is incorrect, you have the right to appeal, reports the Express. It writes: “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.”

How do I apply for a Blue Badge in the UK?

Applications can be made for yourself or on someone else’s behalf. Organisations that transport individuals requiring a Blue Badge may also apply. You can submit an application or renew it here. A separate process applies if you’re in Northern Ireland.

When submitting your application, you will need to supply:

1. Proof of identity
2. Proof of address
3. A recent head and shoulders digital photo
4. Your national insurance number (if you have one)
5. Contact details (phone number, email and postal address)

To verify your identity, you can submit a copy of either:

1. Birth or adoption certificate
2. Passport
3. Driving licence
4. Marriage or civil partnership certificate
5. Divorce or dissolution certificate

To confirm your address, you can submit 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)

What to do if your application is denied

According to Citizen’s Advice, if you believe you have been incorrectly denied a Blue Badge, you can ask the council for a review. Their website states: “It’s worth doing this if you can’t walk more than 80 metres – about the length of 7 double decker buses, or if you can’t use a parking meter because of problems with your arms. If you already have a Blue Badge and have been refused a renewal, if it’s still valid you can use it until you get the result of your review.”

The council will write to you to explain why your application was rejected. In your response, you should explain, in as much detail as possible, why the reasons they gave for rejection are wrong. Make sure to include any information you may have missed in your initial application, and add any evidence you may have, such as:

• a letter from your doctor, physiotherapist or another medical expert
• proof of your address, such as energy or council tax bills – if your local council don’t think you really live in the area
• proof of your identity with your picture on it, such as a passport – if your council doesn’t believe you’re the person you say you are

Furthermore, if your badge was taken away from you due to breaking the rules, you still may be able to appeal if the rule break was due to circumstances beyond your control. If you are still not satisfied, you can call or write to the Local Government Ombudsman:

The Local Government Ombudsman

PO Box 4771

Coventry

CV4 0EH

Telephone: 0300 061 0614

Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 5pm, closed weekends

Calls cost 12p per minute from a landline, and from 3p to 45p from a mobile.

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