You will have automatic entitlement to receive a blue badge if:

• You are registered as blind
  
  

• You are in receipt of Disability Living Allowance (DLA) at the higher rate of the mobility component
  
  

• You are in receipt of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and scored 8 points or more in the ‘moving around’ area of your assessment
  
  

• You receive a War Pensioners’ Mobility Supplement
  
  

• You have received a lump sum payment as part of the Armed Forces compensation scheme (tariffs 1 to 8), and you are certified as having a permanent and substantial disability
  
  

You can still make an application even if you don’t have an automatic entitlement, but there is an extra part on the form to complete. 

For example you might:

• Have permanent problems walking
  
  

• Have problems walking and your doctor advises this is likely to last at least a year
  
  

• Not be able to use your arms
  
  

• Be making an application on behalf of a child aged 2 or older who has problems walking, or a child under 3 who needs to be close to a vehicle because of a health condition

Problems with using your arms 

If  you are only travelling as a passenger, you will not be able to get a blue badge. To be considered for a badge you need to have severe problems with both of your arms and it will be necessary to explain why you need to drive regularly, such as, for work purposes or taking a child to school. 

You will also need to provide an explanation as to why you are unable to use a parking meter or ticket machine.

Children 

Your child may have a health condition that means it is necessary to get home or to a hospital quickly, or to carry around bulky medical equipment for example:

• Suction machines

• Ventilators

• Feed pumps

• Oxygen administration equipment
  
  

On the application form you should put down as much detail as possible, about how often equipment is needed and how your child’s condition affects them and why it is necessary to be able to get to the vehicle quickly to go home or to the hospital.

The following is a list of documents you may need to support your application:

• National Insurance number
  
  

• Your child’s reference number (for applications for a child)
  
  

• Driving licence (if you have one)
  
  

• If you have a blue badge currently, you will need the number, expiry date and local council
  
  

• Identification, such as a birth or marriage certificate, passport, ID card or driving licence
  
  

• Proof of address - for example a utility bill dated within the last three months
  
  

• A photograph of the person the blue badge is for

If you meet the criteria for being automatically entitled to a badge, you will need to provide the original decision letter from the Department of Work and Pensions, for example, your DLA or PIP award.

Once you have made your application you should receive a decision within six to eight weeks. If you’re refused a Blue Badge, you can ask your local authority to reconsider their decision.

• If you are terminally ill
  
  

• If you have a terminal illness, you will still need to prove your eligibility, however the process may be dealt with a lot quicker.

Online 

For online applications you should clearly state that you are terminally ill, when asked to describe your medical condition. 

Local authorities 

When you make contact with your local authority ask for a paper form and explain that you are terminally ill.

The application process may be made easier for you, by not making it a requirement to answer all the questions.

It may be necessary for a health professional to perform a mobility assessment by asking you to carry out a range of activities, testing your mobility. The purpose of this is to see how much your disability affects your mobility and if it affects your ability enough to warrant needing a blue badge.

The health professional will then report back their findings to the local authority. It might also be necessary to provide further information to the local authority if requested.

The blue badge will be valid for three years, at which point you will need to re-apply. 

In addition to this  you will need to re-apply if you stop receiving the benefit that your badge is linked to, such as PIP or DLA.

If you no longer require your blue badge, for example because your health condition improves, you will need to return your badge to the local authority. 

You risk a £1,000 fine if you do not.