DLA or PIP Blue Badge automatic eligibility

You can apply for a Blue Badge and will qualify without further assessment if you receive the qualifying level of benefits, of Disability Living Allowance (DLA) or Personal Independence Payment (PIP). We will need to see a copy of the proof of eligibility which will look like the samples below.

When a badge is issued under DLA or PIP it will be issued in line with your benefit expiry/review date but not for longer than 3 years, as per the Department for Transport guidelines. This may mean you receive a blue badge for less than 3 years if your benefit expiry date is within 3 years if this is the case we will normally inform you, but the expiry date will be clearly shown on a blue badge.

We are aware that currently the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) have a long waiting list to review PIP awards and in some cases have extended peoples PIP benefits. They generally have been extended for a year but not in every case. When you apply online you will be asked if you wish to proceed if your benefit is less than 3 years or if you wish to make a full application giving us details of your mobility issues. If your blue badge is due for renewal and your PIP award end/review date is coming up, but you have been informed your PIP award has been extended the Blue Badge team will need to see evidence of this in the form of a letter from the DWP.

Please apply for a Blue Badge online and upload the relevant letters or pages of your PIP or DLA award which show your name and address, National Insurance number and the details of your award, such as the PIP points you receive or the details of your DLA award for mobility. The qualifying benefits are detailed below.

If you are unable to upload them you can photograph them and send by email, or send a copy by post. This may slightly delay your application so the quickest and most secure way is to upload them when you apply online.

Can I apply without PIP?

Yes you can, even if you have PIP or DLA if your award if for less than 3 years and your blue badge is due for renewal, you may wish to reapply under the walking disability criteria and if assessed and approved we can issue a badge for the full term of 3 years.

Disability Living Allowance (DLA)

The Blue Badge team will need to see a copy of the letter from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) dated within the last 12 months, showing that you receive Disability Living Allowance (DLA) 'higher rate mobility component for help with getting around'. It maybe indefinite or time limited.

Attendance Allowance or DLA for personal care will not automatically qualify you for a Blue Badge so you will need to fully complete an application form about your mobility so we can fully assess your mobility against the current criteria. To do this online you need to select the option that you have difficulty in walking. The DLA statement that we will need to see looks like the example below and we have highlighted in Red the section we need to see which shows you receive the higher rate for mobility.

The DWp letter should show that you are entitled to higher rate mobility component under the heading 'Disablity Living Allowance Entitlement

Personal Independence Payment (PIP)

The Blue Badge team will need to see a copy of the letter from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) dated within the last 12 months, showing that you receive '8 points or more for the 'moving around activity' under the mobility section' of Personal Independence Payment (PIP).

If less than 8 points have been awarded or points have only been awarded for 'planning and following a journey' you will not automatically qualify for a Blue Badge under the "moving around" criteria, and you will need to fully complete an application form about your mobility so we can fully your application against the current blue badge criteria.

The PIP statement that we need to see looks like the example below and as long as you receive 8 points or more in the "moving around" section we can issue you with a blue badge.

Check your score in teh sestion headed 'Moving around (scored out of 12)

Criteria covering "hidden" or non-visible disabilities

You will be automatically eligible for a blue badge only if you receive Personal Independence Payments for Planning and following a journey at 10 points in descriptor (section E) which states "You cannot undertake any journey because it would cause you overwhelming psychological distress". No other amount of points and no other descriptors will automatically entitle you to a blue badge.

If you do not receive the qualifying benefits you can still apply and will need to fully complete an application form about your non-visible disability and we will fully assess your application against the current blue badge criteria. You will need to answer all the questions in the non-visible criteria and you must supply professional evidence to support your application and to explain your answers as to why a journey between a vehicle and a destination would be difficult. By professional evidence, we mean letters and reports from doctors, consultants, occupational therapists, physiotherapist, psychologists, Special Educational Needs reports, SEND reports etc.

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