Getting a Blue Badge: Eligibility and How to Apply

If you or your child have a bleeding disorder, the government’s blue badge scheme can help you to park closer to where you need to get to and reduce otherwise hefty parking costs.

The Blue Badge is a parking permit for people with disabilities in the United Kingdom. It allows you to park closer to your destination, making journeys easier.

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.  Contact your haemophilia centre for support with your application.

Who can get a Blue Badge?

There are two categories of eligibility in England: automatic and assessed.

  • Automatic Eligibility: You automatically qualify for a Blue Badge if you are aged 3 or over and meet one of the following criteria:
    • Receive a higher rate of the mobility component of Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
    • Receive Personal Independence Payment (PIP) because you can’t walk more than 50 metres (awarded 8 points or more under the moving around activity of PIP)
    • Are registered blind (severely sight impaired)
    • Receive a War Pensioners’ Mobility Supplement
  • Assessed Eligibility: You may be eligible for a Blue Badge if you have a disability that meets one or more of the following:
    • You cannot walk at all.
    • You cannot walk without help from someone else or using mobility aids.
    • Walking is very difficult due to pain, breathlessness, or the time it takes.
    • Walking is dangerous to your health and safety.
    • You have a life-limiting illness that makes walking difficult and have an SR1 form.
    • You have a severe disability in both arms and drive regularly but cannot operate pay-and-display parking machines.

Additional Information

The process may involve a medical assessment by a healthcare professional, whether you are applying for a new Blue Badge or renewing your current one. The decision to require a medical review lies with your local council, which manages the Blue Badge scheme in your area.

The guidance provided applies to England. There are separate processes for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

In Scotland you are also automatically eligible if at least one of the following applies:

  • you scored 12 points in the ‘planning and following journeys’ part of your mobility assessment for PIP
  • you previously received the higher rate of the mobility component for DLA indefinitely
  • you have had a mandatory reconsideration for PIP accepted by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) – you are eligible for a 1-year badge

In Wales you are also automatically eligible if at least one of the following applies:

  • you scored 12 points in the ‘planning and following journeys’ part of your mobility assessment for PIP
  • you receive tariff level 6 of the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme for a permanent mental disorder

Click the link for more information on who can get a blue badge 

To apply for a blue badge in England, Scotland and Wales 

To apply for a blue badge in Northern Ireland

Blue Badges: your rights and responsibilities

Blue Badge rules for England

Blue badge rules for Northern Ireland

Blue badge rules for Scotland

Blue badge rules for Wales