Who automatically qualifies for a Blue Badge - and what the permit allows you to do

Living with a mobility-impacting disability can make everyday tasks quite daunting. However, having a Blue Badge can be a significant help, whether you're off to an appointment, nipping out for some shopping, or simply fancying a day out.

Blue Badges are designed to support people with disabilities or health conditions by enabling them to park nearer to their destinations. They afford the holder and their drivers the right to use disabled parking bays and even park on certain double yellow lines.

But the benefits of a Blue Badge go beyond mere convenience - they also offer financial savings by often providing free parking in disabled spaces or car parks. The badge isn't tied to a specific vehicle either, and can be used in any car the holder is travelling in, including taxis, as long as they are present.

Acquiring a Blue Badge in England costs a maximum of £10, while in Scotland the fee is up to £20. In Wales, the benefit is entirely free. Local councils oversee the application process, determine eligibility, and set the price.

Blue Badges typically stay valid for up to three years, after which a new application must be made. There are two categories of people who can apply for a Blue Badge: those who automatically qualify and those whose cases are assessed individually.

Cases assessed on an individual basis may even occur in situations where people are experiencing mental health challenges, including severe anxiety and temporary 'loss of behavioural control' during overwhelming circumstances.

The Government has outlined that people over three years old will automatically qualify for a Blue Badge if they meet at least one of the following criteria:

• 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
• You receive the higher rate of the mobility component of the Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
• You receive a War Pensioners’ Mobility Supplement
• You have received a lump sum benefit within tariff levels one to eight 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
• You are registered blind (severely sight-impaired)
• You receive a Personal Independence Payment (PIP) because you can’t walk more than 50 metres (a score of eight points or more under the ‘moving around’ activity of the mobility component)

If your score falls 10 points below descriptor E in the 'planning and following journeys' activity of PIP, you may still be eligible for a Blue Badge, although it's not guaranteed. This applies even if your score is higher, such as 12.

You'll need to provide evidence to support your eligibility, which will be assessed as part of your application.

According to LancsLive, others may qualify for a Blue Badge if one or more of the following apply:

• Walking is dangerous to your health and safety
• You struggle severely to plan or follow a journey
• You find walking very difficult due to pain, breathlessness or the time it takes
• You regularly have intense and overwhelming responses to situations causing temporary loss of behavioural control
• You have a child under the age of three with a medical condition that means the child always needs to be accompanied by bulky medical equipment
• You cannot walk without help from someone else or using mobility aids
• You cannot walk at all
• You have a life-limiting illness, which means you cannot walk or find walking very difficult and have a SR1 form
• You have a severe disability in both arms and drive regularly, but cannot operate pay-and-display parking machines
• You have a child under the age of three with a medical condition that means the child must always be kept near a vehicle in case they need emergency medical treatment
• You are constantly a significant risk to yourself or others near vehicles, in traffic or car parks
• You frequently become extremely anxious or fearful of public/open spaces
• You find it difficult or impossible to control your actions and lack awareness of the impact you could have on others

In England, Scotland, and Wales, you can request a Blue Badge through GOV.UK. However, if you're in Northern Ireland, the process differs. Click this link for more information.

Your local council will assess your eligibility for a badge once they receive all the required evidence. The processing of your application might take 12 weeks or more. If they determine you don't qualify and you believe some facts were overlooked, you have the right to request a review.