Applying for a Blue Badge parking permit
Due to significant increased demand, applications are currently taking longer than usual to assess. We are currently experiencing delays of around 16 weeks. It may help to speed up your application if you provide all required evidence, please see below for details of evidence.
Having a certain condition or disability does not mean you will be awarded a Blue Badge. Each application will be considered on an individual case-by-case basis.
Blue Badges are for drivers, passengers or children with severe mobility problems and for those who are registered blind. The scheme allows badge holders to access goods, services and facilities, which they would otherwise be unable to, by allowing them to park closer to their destination. The scheme applies only to on-street parking.
In all cases, the purpose of issuing a Badge is to enable the applicant to undertake journeys that would not otherwise be possible, or which are only possible with very considerable difficulty.
Who can apply
A person is automatically eligible for a badge if they are over three years old and meet at least one of the following criteria. Proof that they meet the criteria must be provided.
Automatic criteria
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.
- 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:
- 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
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.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
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
You will need to provide your DS1500 confirming your diagnosis. 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.
Assessed criteria
A person who doesn't meet the above criteria may still qualify if one of the following apply:
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.
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
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.
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
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
Proof of address and identity
We will accept the following as proof of address and identity:
- Passport
- Driving licence
- Birth/adoption certificate
- Marriage Certificate
- Divorce certificate
- DWP - PIP/DLA or Pensions letter
- Prescription sheet from a GP
- Driving licence
- Bank statement
- Utility bill (Not Council Tax bill)
- DWP - PIP/DLA or Pensions letter
- Prescription sheet from a GP
You need to provide a photo, taken within the last month. 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 or filters
What your digital photo must show
The digital photo must:
- contain no other objects or people
- be taken against a plain light-coloured background
- be in clear contrast to the background
- not have red-eye
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
- not have a head covering (unless it's for religious or medical reasons)
- not have anything covering your face
- not have any shadows on your face or behind you
Do not wear glasses in your photo unless you have to do so. If you must wear glasses, they cannot be sunglasses or tinted glasses, and you must make sure your eyes are not covered by the frames or any glare, reflection or shadow.
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 photo does not meet the rules.
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.
Apply, re-apply or report a lost or stolen Blue Badge
Fill in our simple online form.
You should re-apply for a Blue Badge at least 20 weeks before your current one expires.
You will need to provide up-to-date evidence and may need to attend an assessment to determine if you still qualify.
Clock Completing this form for automatic criteria takes around 15 minutes
Clock Completing this form for assessed criteria takes around 25 minutes
Paperclip To complete this form you will need to:-
- provide proof of identity (see proof of identity above)
- proof of address (see proof of address above)
- a digital photograph (see rules for digital photos above)
- a debit card to pay £10.
After you've applied
If you are eligible, your Blue Badge will be sent to your home address.
Please allow up to 16 weeks for your application to be processed.
If you are not eligible, your payment will be refunded and you will be notified of the reason you are not eligible.
You do not need to return your Blue Badge when it has expired. Please double-check that it has expired then cut it up and dispose of it.
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.