Blue Badge Scheme

Blue Badge

The Blue Badge Scheme provides a National range of parking concessions for disabled people with severe mobility problems who have difficulty using transport.

The scheme is designed to help severely disabled people to travel independently, as either a driver or passenger, by allowing them to park close to their destination.

The national concessions only apply to on-street parking. They do not apply to off-street car parks, such as supermarket car parks, or privately owned roads, such as those you find at airports.

Do I qualify automatically for Blue Badge?
Eligibility is considered in terns of being ‘eligible without further assessment’ or ‘eligible subject to further assessment.’

A person is automatically eligible to apply for a badge if they are over two years old and meet at least one of the following criteria:
A. Receives the Higher Rate of the Mobility Component of the Disability Living Allowance;
B. Is Registered blind; or
C. Receives a War Pensioners’ Mobility Supplement.

If you are applying for a badge under the criteria listed (a), (b) or (c) you will automatically qualify, provided you have the right documentation to support your application.

Who may be eligible subject to further assessment?
Some people may also be eligible for a badge if they are more than two years old and either:
A. Have a permanent and substantial disability, which means they cannot walk; or which makes walking very difficult.

If you are applying for a badge under this criterion you will need to show that:
• You are unable to walk or;
• You have a physical disability that means you are unable to
walk very far without experiencing severe discomfort; or
• The physical effort needed to walk could damage your
health.

People with a behavioural or psychological disorder will not normally qualify unless their impairment causes very considerable difficulty in walking all the time. We may ask for you to be assessed by a medical professional, such as an occupational therapist.

OR

B. Drive a motor vehicle regularly, have a server disability in both arms, and are unable to operate all or some types of parking meter (or would find it very difficult to operate them.)

To qualify for a badge under this criterion you will usually be expected to drive a vehicle with an adapted steering on account of a severe disability in both arms (for example, double limb amputation). Alternatively you may have a disability that is just as severe (such as a thalidomide disability) in both upper limbs but drive a conventional vehicle.

Only drivers with the most severe disabilities in both their arms will be eligible under this criterion. It will not apply to people who, for example, have difficulty carrying parcels or shopping.

What if my child is under two?
A parent of a child who is less than two years old may apply for a badge for their child if the child has a specific medical condition which means that they:
A. Must always be accompanied by bulky medical equipment which cannot be carried around without great difficulty; and/or
B. Need to be kept near vehicle at all times, so that they can, if necessary, be treated in the vehicle, or quickly driven to a place where they can be treated, such as hospital.

A parent or guardian must apply on behalf of a child under the age of two. The list of bulky medical equipment referred to above may include:

• Ventilators;
• Suction machines;
• Feed pumps;
• Parental equipment;
• Syringe drivers;
• Oxygen administration equipment;
• Continuous oxygen saturation monitoring equipment; and
• Casts and associated medical equipment for the correction of hip dyspalsia

A Local Authority will issue a badge if the equipment is always needed and cannot be carried without great difficulty. Examples of highly unstable medical conditions that mean children who have them may need quick access to transport to hospital or home may include:
• Tracheostomies;
• Severe Epilepsy/Fitting;
• Highly unstable diabetes; and
• Terminal illnesses that prevent children from spending any more than brief moments outside and who need a quick route home.

Please note this list is not exhaustive

Further information is available in the Department of Transport Leaflet “Can I Get a Blue Badge”

Do I need to own a car?
There is no requirement for you to own a vehicle or be able to drive one. The badge is personal to you and can be used in any vehicle in which you are travelling as a passenger, which you have notified your local authority of, if requested.

How do I apply for a badge?
Enfield Council is responsible for administering the Scheme and issuing badges. Call 020 8379 1000 Monday to Friday 8am to 6pm

or visit the Civic Centre, Silver Street, Enfield, EN1 3XY, Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm. Alternatively you can print off the form by visiting Applying for a Blue Badge

You will need to supply two passport photos that you have been signed on the back. If you are successful you will be asked for a £2 admin fee to cover the costs if you collect your badge from the civic centre. Alternatively, the badge can be posted to you special delivery at a total cost of £7 (including £2 admin fee).

Will I need to be assessed by a Health Professional?
If you do not meet one of the “Eligible without further assessment' criteria, such as being in receipt of the higher rate of the mobility component of the Disability Living Allowance, we will need to assess your eligibility. You will be asked to answer a series of questions to help them determine your eligibility. We may ask you to see an independent health professional, such as an occupational therapist.

How long are badges issued for?
Most badges are issued for three years only.  However, certain exceptions apply and are explained below.

In the case of children under two, the badge will be issued for a maximum period of two years ending on the day immediately following their second birthday.

Where entitlement for a Blue Badge is linked to Higher Rate Mobility Component of Disability Living Allowance (HRMCDLA) and War Pensioner's Mobility Supplement (WPMS) the period of issue should be linked to the period of receipt of that allowance, where that period is less than three years.

Where HRMCDLA or WPMS has been granted for a period longer than three years, the badge can still only be issued for the maximum three year period.  The badge will continue to be reviewed on a three yearly cycle.

Why can’t badges be issued for life?
Issuing badges for a maximum three-year period allows local authorities the opportunity to re-assess badge holders when their badges expire to ensure that they continue to meet the eligibility criteria and are therefore in need of a badge.  Although a badge holder may still have the same disability, it is possible that their degree of disability may have improved to such an extent that they no longer meet the eligibility criteria.  Where a badge holder has a permanent disability, which will not change (e.g. where there has been loss of limbs), the opportunity to renew the badge allows the local authority to ensure that the holder's personal details, such as their address, are unchanged.

I have been refused a badge, can I appeal?
There is no right of appeal against a local authority's decision to refuse a blue badge, but you may ask the authority to reconsider the case if you feel that your mobility problems have become more serious or if you think that all the relevant facts were not taken into consideration at the time of the assessment.

To appeal, please contact the Concessionary Travel team on 020 8379 1000 Monday to Friday 8am to 6pm or visit the Civic Centre, Silver Street, Enfield, EN1 3XY, Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm.

Using Your Blue Badge Properly
It is down to you to use your Blue Badge properly. The badge and its concessions are just for your use. It is a criminal offence for you or anyone else to misuse your badge, and it can lead to a £1,000 fine. Making sure that the scheme is not abused will benefit genuine badge holders, such as yourself.

The badge is for your use and benefit only. It must not be displayed unless you are using it directly. Do not allow other people to use your badge to do something on your behalf such as shopping or collecting something for you, unless you are travelling with them.

For more information on your rights and responsibilities and how to use your Blue Badge, download the attached leaflet produced by the Department for Transport.

More information about this service

Contact Us

Address:
Concessionary Travel Team,
Civic Centre,
Silver Street,
Enfield,
EN1 3XY
Map

Telephone:
020 8379 1000
Monday – Friday:
8am to 6pm

Opening Hours:
Monday – Friday:
9am – 5pm

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