Full list of health conditions that qualify for a blue badge permit which could save you thousands of pounds

DRIVERS with disabilities could save thousands of pounds in parking costs, congestion charges and toll fees by applying for a blue badge.

The scheme is available for people with disabilities or health conditions that affect their mobility.

Badges are also available for people who care for a child with a health condition that affects their mobility or who is disabled.

There are some conditions and benefits that mean you will automatically qualify for a blue badge.

These include if you:

• receive the higher rate of the mobility component of the Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
• 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)
• are registered blind (severely sight impaired)
• receive a War Pensioners’ Mobility Supplement
• have received a lump sum benefit within tariff levels 1 to 8 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
• 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

Even if you don’t meet any of the criteria above, you may still be eligible for a blue badge.

For instance, the Government says if you have any score other than 10 points for the ‘planning and following journeys’ activity of PIP you may still qualify. 

This includes if you have a higher score of 12. You will have to provide evidence to demonstrate your eligibility.

The Government helpfully lists the conditions or factors that may qualify you for a blue badge.

These include if:

• you cannot walk at all
• you cannot walk without help from someone else or using mobility aids
• you find walking 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, 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 3 with a medical condition that means the child always needs to be accompanied by bulky medical equipment
• you have a child under the age of 3 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 struggle severely to plan or follow a journey
• you find it difficult or impossible to control your actions and lack awareness of the impact you could have on others
• you regularly have intense and overwhelming responses to situations causing temporary loss of behavioural control
• you frequently become extremely anxious or fearful of public or open spaces

How to apply for a blue badge

You apply for a blue badge from your local council, and they will decide if you are eligible.

You will need to provide:

• proof of identity
• proof of address
• a recent head and shoulders digital photo
• your national insurance number (if you have one)
• contact details (phone number, email and postal address)

If you’re applying because you receive certain benefits, you will need to provide proof of your award.

If you receive PIP, you need to give your scores from the mobility assessment and must give the award end date if there is one.

You’ll also need to show proof that you get benefit by providing the following pages from your Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) letter: 

• entitlement to PIP (front page)
• assessment scores (second to last page)
• mobility scores (last page)

If you get the disability living allowance, you’ll need to know what rate of mobility component you get, and the award end date, if there is one. You should provide your most recent letter from the DWP showing:

• mobility rating
• certificate of entitlement to DLA
• the date of the letter

If you’re in the armed forces compensation scheme, you need to provide your most recent letter from the Ministry of Defence, which needs to confirm that you:

• were injured in service on or after 6 April 2005
• have been awarded a benefit by the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme, with a lump sum payment within Tariffs 1 to 8
• are certified as having a permanent, substantial disability which causes inability to walk or very considerable difficulty in walking

Finally, if you are on the War Pensioners’ Mobility Scheme, you should provide the most recent letter from the Ministry of Defence, which clearly shows that you:

• were injured in service before 6 April 2005
• are in receipt of a War Pensioners’ Mobility Supplement

If you are applying and do not receive any of the qualifying benefits listed above, then you will need to demonstrate that you need a blue badge.

If you have trouble walking or a hidden medical condition, you will need to provide information about:

• Any relevant medications you are taking
• Any relevant treatments you currently receive or are scheduled to receive
• The healthcare professionals who have treated you for your condition

You’ll have the option to upload any documents that support your situation. This could be things like prescriptions, diagnosis letters, or communications from healthcare professionals.

If you have a physical health condition, the council will ask how it impacts your ability to walk. 

If you have a hidden condition, it will ask how this affects your journey from your vehicle to your destination.

How to use the blue badge

The blue badge lets you use accessible parking spaces, including disabled bays.

It costs up to £10 in England and £20 in Scotland. It’s free in Wales. Badges usually last up to three years, and you need to apply for a new one before your current badge expires.

It is intended for on-street parking, which means that car parks at hospitals, shopping centres, supermarkets, or offices are covered by different rules (although many have disabled bays you can use). You may have to pay for parking at these locations.

You can use it in any car that you’re travelling in, whether you are the passenger or the driver.

However, you are not allowed to let people use it if you won’t be there. For instance, you can’t give your badge to someone who is doing shopping on your behalf.

You’re also not allowed to let other people take advantage of the badge while you sit in the car. Misuse is a criminal offence and could lead to a £1,000 fine and confiscation of the badge.

Some areas such as the City of London, City of Westminster, Kensington and Chelsea, Gatwick and Heathrow airports and Camden have their own schemes. Check with the council before travelling to these areas to find out how to access free parking.

The Government has a postcode checker, which will tell you the relevant council for any postcode, so you can find out where you can park with your blue badge.

Typically, the blue badge will allow you to park for free on streets with parking meters or pay and display machines, in disabled parking bays (some may have a time limit), and on single or double yellow lines for up to three hours if there isn’t a ‘no loading’ sign.

You can also ask your council for a disabled parking space near your home, which is often free.

There are some other benefits that come with being a blue badge holder, for instance, you can get a 100% exemption from the London congestion charge, but you need to apply through TFL.

You might also be able to get discounts at some river crossings, bridges and tunnels. In most cases, you have to apply in advance to get a concession. The government has links to the relevant tolls here.

You might also be eligible for free vehicle tax, but this is not guaranteed with a blue badge. Find out more about how to apply on gov.uk.

How much money can a blue badge save?

The biggest blue badge saving is on parking, and how much you’ll save depends on where you typically park and how often you need to do it.

Research carried out by River Vale Leasing in 2022 found that car parking in the City of Westminster, Edinburgh and Islington costs more than £3,000 a year.

The highest cost was £3,684 in Westminster, followed by £3,483 in Edinburgh and £3,007 in Islington.

It found that Dudley in the West Midlands is the cheapest place to park at just £615 per year based on the same numbers.

These car parking costs were calculated based on parking four days per week. If you drive more often, the savings could be much higher, whereas if you only park infrequently the savings will be less.

However, more recent research from insurer Direct Line found that car parking charges across the UK have increased by as much as 145% in the past two years. 

It says that the average hourly rate charged by council car parks is £1.29 in the daytime, and £1.22 in the evening.

Councils who have introduced overnight parking charge since 2022 have begun charging an average of £2.90 per hour, rising to as much as £10 in the London Borough of Sutton.

In terms of tolls, research from Hippo Leasing found that that the M6 is the UK’s most expensive toll road, demanding £8.90 per use.

Commuters using the M6 toll twice daily, five times a week, shell out £22 weekly, £88 monthly and £1,056 yearly.

The London congestion charge is £15 a day. That means if you paid it every single day it would cost you £5,475 a year. Even if you only paid it once a week, it would cost you £780.

Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk.

Plus, you can join our Sun Money Chats and Tips Facebook group to share your tips and stories