Blue Badge Scheme - Frequently Asked Questions

• What is the Blue Badge Scheme?
• Do I qualify for a badge?
• Special rules for children under the age of 3
• How do I apply for an organisational badge?
• What does ‘subject to further assessment’ mean?
• What is an Independent Medical Assessment (IMA)?
• What documents are required with my application?
• Can I appeal against the decision to refuse a badge?
• Will I have to pay for the badge?
• How long will it take for me to get my badge?
• How long does the badge last?
• How do I apply?
• My badge is due to expire, how do I reapply?

This is a national scheme intended to allow those with the most severe mobility issues park close to amenities which they would otherwise be unable to access without great difficulty.  In January 2012, new guidelines were issued by the Government to local authorities and as a result the way in which Moray Council assesses for a blue badge has changed.

This will ensure that badges are only issued to those who really need them will reduce their misuse. If you do not automatically qualify for a badge, you will now need to demonstrate that you meet the strict criteria.  All applications will be assessed in a similar way in order to ensure the scheme is applied fairly and consistently throughout the UK.

As a result of the changes in legislation, a number of people who previously qualified for a badge may not qualify under the new system. It should therefore be noted that previous issue of a badge does not guarantee it will be renewed.  Assessment for a badge is related directly to your ability to walk and will not be granted on the basis of age or the need to have a wider space to fully open a car door.

Further information can be found at Transport Scotland.

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If you or the individual you are applying on behalf of are aged three or above, and you can answer yes to any of the questions below, you will automatically qualify for a badge under the ‘no further assessment’ rules:

• Do you receive the higher rate of the mobility component of the Disability Living Allowance and has this been awarded indefinitely?
• Are you registered as severely sight impaired (blind)?
• Do you receive a War Pensioner’s Mobility supplement?
• Do you receive a benefit under the Armed Forces and Reserve Forces (compensation scheme)?

If you answered no to all of the above you may still qualify for a badge under the ‘subject to further assessment’ criteria.  In order to qualify you will have to demonstrate you meet one of the statements below:

• I have a permanent and substantial disability which means I am unable to walk or virtually unable to walk.
• I have a temporary, but substantial disability which means I am unable to walk or virtually unable to walk which is likely to last for a period of at least 12 months but less than three years
• I drive a motor vehicle regularly and have a severe disability in both arms, making it very difficult or impossible to operate parking meters.

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If you’re the parent of a child who is younger than three years old, you may also apply for a Blue Badge. Your child must have a specific medical condition which means that they either:

• must always be accompanied by bulky medical equipment which is very difficult to carry around.
• need to be kept near a vehicle at all times to get emergency medical treatment for that condition when necessary.

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If your organisation provides transport and care for disabled people who in their own right qualify for a badge, then you may be eligible.  Please ask for our organisational application pack.

On receipt, all applications are logged by the team administrator and identification checks carried out.  Those meeting the automatic criteria above will be processed and the applicant issued with a badge.  All other applications will be treated as ‘subject to further assessment’. 

These applications will be assessed and scored, then cross checked with other community care services you may have, such as home care and Occupational Therapy.  We may also contact other health professionals currently or recently involved with you to obtain further information and verify details of the application.  Depending on the score of this desk based assessment, your application will be:

1. Approved
2. Refused

Or

1. Passed for Independent Medical Assessment (IMA)

If your application is approved it will be processed and your badge issued.

If your application is refused, we will send you a letter telling you why you have been unsuccessful.

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Where your eligibility is unclear from your application you will be required to attend The Independent Living Centre within Moray Resource Centre in Elgin for a mobility assessment.  This will be carried out by a qualified Occupational Therapist and will involve a demonstration of your walking ability over a short distance.  You will be asked about your medical conditions and how they affect you, any medication you take and the help you need to get about. 

You will also be offered an Occupational Therapy assessment to help you remain as independent as possible.  The assessment typically takes about 30 minutes but may last up to an hour if you wish to discuss other difficulties you have. 
Following your assessment, the information will be reviewed and a decision made as to your eligibility for a Blue Badge. You will be notified of this in writing and if unsuccessful, the letter will include the reasons why.  If your application is successful the Blue badge team will be advised and they will arrange for your badge to be issued.

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All applications must be accompanied by the following three items:

1 Proof of identity

A certified photocopy of one of the following:

• Birth/adoption certificate
• Marriage/divorce certificate
• Civil partnership/dissolution certificate
• Valid driving licence
• Passport

This must be certified by someone other than your partner or family member, who has known you for a minimum of two years and is over the age of 18.  It must contain the words “This copy is a true likeness of the original” with their signature beside it.

2 Proof of address

An original Council Tax bill showing your name and address.  This will be checked against Council Tax records or the electoral register, or the school records in the case of someone under the age of 16.

Or

You can tick the consent box on the application form giving the Blue Badge team permission to check your details against the Council Tax database.

3 Photograph

A passport style photograph showing your full face, you’re your name printed on the back.

If you are applying under the ‘no further assessment’ rules (see, Do I qualify for a badge?) you will also need to submit one of the following:

• An award notice issued in the last 12 months from the Pension Disability and Carers Service (PDCS) stating your entitlement to the higher rate of the mobility component of Disability Living Allowance (HRMCDLA)
• A certificate of blindness or defective vision (BPI3R) or a certificate of visual impairment (CVI), signed by a consultant ophthalmologist, which states that you are blind/severely sight impaired.
• An original proof of entitlement letter from the Service Personnel and Veterans Agency confirming you are in receipt of a War Pensioner’s Mobility Supplement (WPMS)
• An original letter from the Service Personnel and Veterans Agency confirming you receive a lump sum benefit under the Armed Forces and Reserve Forces (Compensation) Scheme within tariff levels 1-8 (inclusive)

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Where your application has been unsuccessful, and you are unhappy with this decision, you must notify the Blue Badge team in writing within 28 days of your notification letter. Where your decision was made without an IMA you will be invited to attend in person for an assessment as outlined above.  Where you have received an IMA, the assessment will be reviewed by a more senior therapist and again you will be notified of the outcome in writing, including the reasons if you are unsuccessful.

If you remain unhappy with this decision, you must again notify the team in writing within 28 days of receiving your review outcome letter.  This will then be passed to the community care appeals panel for a senior management decision. Where the decision to refuse is upheld, there are no further rights of appeal.

You can also re-apply after three months if you feel that your mobility problems have become more serious since your assessment.

If you are unhappy with the manner in which you have been dealt with by any of the team rather than the decision itself, then please ask a member of Moray Council staff for a copy of our complaints procedure.

The Moray Council charge £20 for each Blue Badge issued whether it is for a new badge or a renewal of an expired one.  Once your application has been successful and your badge issued, you will be sent an invoice for the full amount, detailing payment methods. Please do not include cash or cheques with your application.

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It will take from three to six weeks to process your application for a badge. If your application is approved, your badge will be posted out to you by the Blue Badge Improvement Service (BBIS) along with the ‘Rights and Responsibilities of a Blue Badge Holder’ booklet.

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Most successful applicants are issued with a three year badge, however if you meet the criteria for a badge but have a condition whish is considered temporary i.e. lasting more than 12 months but less than three years you will be issued with a one year badge.

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Please return the completed form to:
The Blue Badge Team, Moray Resource Centre, Maisondieu Road, Elgin, IV30 1RX.