Applying for a Blue Badge

Who can apply

If you're disabled or have a health condition that affects your mobility, you can apply for a Blue Badge.

You can also apply for a badge if you care for a child with a health condition that affects their mobility.

Automatic criteria

A person is automatically eligible for a badge if they are over two years old and meet at least one of the following criteria. Proof that they meet the criteria must be provided.

• are registered as severely sight impaired - blind
• get the higher rate of the mobility component of Disability Living Allowance (DLA) - check your decision letter if you're not sure
• get War Pensioners Mobility Supplement
• received a lump sum payment as part of the Armed Forces and Reserved Forces Compensation scheme (tariffs 1 to 8), and have been certified as having a permanent and substantial disability
• Terminal illness and not expected to live more than 6 months

If you get Personal Independence Payments (PIP)

You're automatically eligible for a Blue Badge if you either:

• scored 8 points or more in the 'moving around' area of your PIP assessment
• scored 10 points in the 'planning and following journeys' area of your PIP assessment and were put in category 'E' - this means your stress, anxiety or other mental health issue stops you leaving the house

Check your PIP decision letter if you're not sure.

If you're not automatically eligible - assessed criteria

You can still get a badge if:

• you have long term problems walking or going to places - including problems caused by stress, anxiety or other mental health issues
• you have severe problems using both your arms
• you're applying on behalf of a child aged over 2 who has problems walking or going to places, or a child under 3 who needs to be close to a vehicle because of a health condition

Documents you need to provide for automatic criteria

Before you apply, make sure you have the documents needed for the criteria you are applying for:

Registered as severely sight impaired (blind) - Documents needed

If you are registered as severely sight impaired (blind):

You will need to provide your Certificate of Visual Impairment (CVI) or BD8 form or your visually impaired ID card (if registered blind with Kirklees Council).

If you are registered sight impaired (partially sighted), you should not apply under this criteria.

High Rate of the Mobility component of Disability Living Allowance (DLA) - Documents needed

If you receive the High Rate of the Mobility component of Disability Living Allowance (DLA):

You will need to provide your DLA award letter dated within the last 12 months. If your letter is over 12 months old, you will need to call and ask for an up to date letter to be sent to you.

• If you were born before 8 April 1948, the number to call is 0800 731 0122
• If you were born after 8 April 1948, the number to call is 0800 121 4600

If your letter states Attendance Allowance, you should not apply under this criteria.

War Pensioner's Mobility Supplement - Documents needed

If you receive War Pensioner's Mobility Supplement:

You will need to provide your War Pensioner's entitlement letter stating that you receive the Mobility Supplement. If you do not have a letter, you will need to call Veterans UK and ask for a letter to be sent to you.

• The number to call is 0808 1914 218

Lump sum benefit armed forces and reserved forces compensation scheme - Documents needed

If you have received a lump sum benefit within tariff levels 1-8 of the armed forces and reserved forces compensation scheme and have been certified as having a permanent and substantial disability which causes inability to walk or very considerable difficulty in walking:

You will need to provide your full award letter which confirms this. If you do not have a letter, you will need to call Veterans UK and ask for a letter to be sent to you.

• The number to call is 0808 1914 218

Personal Independence Payment (PIP) - Documents needed

• If you receive a Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and have been awarded 8 points or more for the 'moving around' activity of the mobility component:

or

• If you receive Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and have been awarded 10 points specifically because you cannot undertake any journey because it would cause overwhelming psychological distress to the claimant:

You will need to provide your full PIP award letter dated within the last 12 months. If your letter is over 12 months old, you will need to call and ask for an up to date letter to be sent to you.

• The number to call is 0800 121 4433

If your letter states Attendance Allowance, you should not apply under this criteria

Terminal Illness and not expected to live more than 6 months - Documents needed

We will usually fast-track your application. You'll need to send a copy of the medical form that shows you have a terminal illness - this is called form DS1500. You can get form DS1500 from your doctor or consultant. If you do not have a DS1500 you will need to provide the details of the medical professional who can confirm your diagnosis and that your life expectancy is less than 6 months.

Documents you need to provide for assessed criteria

Filling in the application if you're not automatically eligible

If you're not automatically eligible you'll need to fill in an extra part of the application form to explain why you need a badge.

Enduring and substantial disability which means you are unable to walk or have considerable difficulty in walking from a vehicle to your destination - Documents needed

You need to complete a full application giving details of your illness or disability and how your mobility is affected. You should upload any evidence you already have from medical professionals.

The types of evidence you could provide include (but are not limited to):

• A letter of diagnosis (from a specialist), as up-to-date as possible
• Evidence of the progression of the condition over time
• Confirmation of ongoing treatments/clinic attendances, or referral
• Evidence of prescribed medication relevant to your condition
• Evidence of specialist consultations, or referral
• Your Patient Summary or Summary Care Records
• Education Health and Care Plans (EHCP)
• Care Plans from social care teams
• Social housing letters or assessment reports from a local authority
• Letters from other professionals involved in your care
• Personal Independence Payment (PIP) decision letters
• Evidence of other benefits received
• Contact details of professionals involved in your care

IMPORTANT - you should not ask your GP to write a letter.

Please note: some organisations or specialists may charge a fee for providing documentary evidence on request, the council cannot help with these costs.

If the evidence you provide is not enough to make a decision on your eligibility, you will be required to attend an independent mobility assessment to determine if you meet the criteria, you will not be charged for this.

Enduring and substantial disability which causes you to experience very considerable psychological distress, or be at risk of serious harm, or pose a risk of serious harm to any other person when walking from a vehicle to your destination (you have a hidden disability) - Documents needed

You need to complete a full application giving details of your illness or disability and the difficulties you experience during a journey, when walking from a vehicle to your destination.

When you complete the form you will need to show that you:

• experience very severe or overwhelming anxiety or
• have an overwhelming sense of fear in open/public/busy spaces or
• avoid some or all types of journey or
• become physically aggressive to others or
• find it difficult or impossible to control your actions or
• have intense responses to overwhelming situations causing temporary loss of behavioural control or
• are at risk of serious harm when walking

You should upload any evidence you already have from medical professionals.

The types of evidence you could provide include (but are not limited to):

• A letter of diagnosis (from a specialist), as up-to-date as possible
• Evidence of the progression of the condition over time
• Confirmation of ongoing treatments/clinic attendances, or referral
• Evidence of prescribed medication relevant to your condition
• Evidence of specialist consultations, or referral
• Your Patient Summary or Summary Care Records
• Education Health and Care Plans (EHCP)
• Care Plans from social care teams
• Social housing letters or assessment reports from a local authority
• Letters from other professionals involved in your care
• Personal Independence Payment (PIP) decision letters
• Evidence of other benefits received
• Contact details of professionals involved in your care

IMPORTANT - you should not ask your GP to write a letter.

Please note: some organisations or specialists may charge a fee for providing documentary evidence on request, the council cannot help with these costs.

If the evidence you provide is not enough to make a decision on your eligibility, your application will be passed to an expert assessor to determine if you meet the criteria, you will not be charged for this.

For more information

Read the legislation: The Disabled Persons (Badges for Motor Vehicles) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2019

Regularly drives a vehicle and has a severe disability in both arms and is unable to operate or has considerable difficulty in operating all or some types of on-street parking equipment. - Documents needed

Only drivers with the most severe disabilities in both their arms will qualify under this criteria. Medical evidence or an assessment may be needed to determine eligibility.

You can't get a badge because of problems with your arms if you only travel as a passenger.

You'll need to:

• have severe problems with both of your arms
• explain why you need to drive regularly
• have severe problems using parking ticket machines or meters

Child under 3 years old who must always be accompanied by bulky medical equipment

Examples of bulky medical equipment may include (but is not limited to):

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

Child under 3 years old who needs to be kept near a vehicle at all times

A child under 3 years old who needs to be kept near a vehicle at all times so that treatment can be given in the vehicle or the child can be quickly driven to a place where they can be treated, such as a hospital.

Examples of highly unstable medical conditions may include (but is not limited to):

• Tracheostomies
• Severe epilepsy/fitting
• Highly unstable diabetes
• Terminal illnesses which prevent the child from spending any more than brief moments outside and who need a quick route home

Badges for organisations

Organisations concerned with the care of disabled people can apply for a Blue Badge for vehicles like minibuses or specially adapted vehicles if they:

• care for and transport disabled people who would meet the eligibility criteria for an individual Blue Badge; and
• have a clear need for an organisational badge rather than using the individual Blue Badges of people it transports.

Proof of address and identity

We will accept the following as proof of address and identity:

Proof of identity

• Passport
• Driving licence
• Birth/adoption certificate
• Marriage Certificate
• Divorce certificate
• DWP - PIP/DLA or Pensions letter
• Prescription sheet from a GP

Proof of address

• Driving licence
• Bank statement
• Utility bill (Not Council Tax bill)
• DWP - PIP/DLA or Pensions letter
• Prescription sheet from a GP

Photographs - Rules for digital photo

You need to upload a digital photo to apply for a Blue Badge pass online. This will be printed on the back of your Blue Badge.

The quality of your digital photo

Your photo must be:

• clear and in focus
• in colour
• unaltered by computer software
• at least 600 pixels wide and 750 pixels tall
• at least 50KB and no more than 10MB

What your digital photo must show

The digital photo must:

• contain no other objects or people
• be taken against a plan light-coloured background
• be in clear contrast to the background

In your photo you must:

• be facing forwards and looking straight at the camera
• have your eyes open and visible
• not have hair in front of your eyes

We will accept digital passport style photos taken with a mobile phone, include your head, shoulders and upper body. Do not crop your photo - it will be done for you.

Your application will be delayed if your photos do not meet the rules.

Contacting us

If you would like to apply for a Blue Badge and you do not have access to a computer, you can call Kirklees Direct on 01484 414847 or you can use a self-service computer at one of our Customer Service Centres.