Changing or handing back a Blue Badge. This includes: The Welsh Government cannot intervene in individual applications. We would also encourage issuing authorities to work closely with their enforcement authorities and act on information supplied by enforcement officers. Some local authorities regularly run a check against monthly death records supplied by the Registrars. If the badge is subsequently found or recovered, the original badge should be returned to the local authority so that it can be destroyed (Footnote 16). . For example, because of the nature of the condition they have only experienced mobility impairments for a very short period. complaints. An applicant who is registered blind or as severely sight impaired will often be registered with the local authoritys Social Services Department (or their agents). If possible you should complete the application yourself or ask for help from family, friends or support organisations. In some circumstances strict adherence to the photograph specification is not possible due to the applicants individual circumstances. WebThe charge for a Blue Badge is 10. Removing expired badges from circulation will reduce fraud. The badge is usually valid for 3 years. 7. unilateral or bilateral hip, knee, etc.). Youll need a recent digital photo showing your head and shoulders. Appropriate declarations need to be incorporated into the Blue Badge application form in order to enable applicants to give their permission to the local authority to access existing records. Depending on the circumstances and local policies, the vehicle may also be removed to a pound. You are completely unable to walk, have considerable difficulty walking or substantial impairment to mobility. An applicant can only appeal to the Welsh Ministers against the local authoritys decision not to award a Blue Badge or to request the return of a badge where the grounds for refusal / return are: The appeal must be made within 28 days beginning with the date of the local authoritys determination. To aid the inspection process, a gender marker has been added to the badge serial number. The Welsh Government aims to use appropriate language in line with the social model. You have not received money under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme Tariff 1-8 (inclusive). because it was reported lost or stolen, should have been returned to the issuing authority (e.g. When using the power to retain a badge being misused by someone other than the genuine badge holder ((d), as above), enforcement officers should establish that the disabled badge holder is not part of the journey. Below is a summary of the powers which local authorities may use: In cases where an applicant makes a fraudulent application (i.e. Local authorities are responsible for the day-to-day administration and enforcement of the scheme. It is recommended that replacement requests include a signed declaration by the applicant, their carer or guardian where relevant, confirming the loss and acknowledging that any subsequent use of the old badge, should it turn up, would be a criminal offence subject to a maximum 1,000 fine. This allows a more comprehensive analysis of statistics by local authorities and Welsh Government. See regulation 9(1)(f) of the 2000 regulations. When you apply you will need to provide one of the following an ophthalmologist report; CV1/BD8 form confirming the applicant is severely sight impaired (Blind); registration with the local authority as sight impaired at the severe level. are not in themselves a qualification for a badge. However, it is recommended that where possible, organisations should provide local authorities with an electronic file of their logo. You have a severe disability in both arms. It is recommended that a badge is awarded once an applicants mobility starts to be affected in a way that meets the eligibility criteria. Reports from some local authorities in England note that conventional enforcement complemented by additional preventative measures are likely to be the most successful and effective in the long term. Particularly useful information provided as part of this free service is a home telephone number of the badge holder (where provided) and a copy of the photograph used on the badge. The BBDS system will facilitate this. Applicants must be made aware that in order to be issued with a badge they will need to provide evidence in support of their application. WebBlue Badge Scheme in Wales: guidance to local authorities 2021 Guidance for local authorities on how to deliver the Blue Badge Scheme. This carries a penalty of a fine of up to 5,000 and/or up to 12 months imprisonment on summary conviction. They need to be able to share the information they have on badge holders. When a badge has been lost, stolen or destroyed, or has become so damaged / faded that it is illegible, the local authority can issue a replacement badge. In these circumstances applicants who apply for a badge are expected to provide healthcare professional evidence to support their application. In both cases the apparatus is likely to be deployed for a period of up to three months per hip, children with highly unstable diabetes and, special cases terminally ill children who can only access brief moments of outside life and need a quick route home, The applicant is registered with the local authority as having a learning disability (this may be called a learning difficulty) or, The applicant has attended a memory clinic or, The applicant can provide evidence in the form of letters, reports or functional assessments from relevant health professionals (psychiatrist, psychologist, occupational therapist, social worker, care agency) who confirms they require supervision for all journeys over and above that which is normally expected of a person of their age, cares for and transports people who would themselves meet one or more of the eligibility criteria for a individual Blue Badge and, has a clear need for an organisational badge rather than using the individual Blue Badges of people it is transporting, about the number of qualifying people being cared for, about the type of vehicle(s) being used to carry them, whether it is adapted and how, why the organisation feels they need an organisational badge rather than using individual Blue Badges of people in their care and how often the badge is likely to be used and for what purpose, in case of children under three, a badge should be issued for a maximum period ending on the day immediately following their third birthday (, where entitlement for a Blue Badge is linked to the receipt of PIP, HRMCDLA or the War Pensioners Mobility Supplement (WPMS), the period of issue should be linked to the period of receipt of that allowance, where that period is less than 3 years (, badges issued under the temporary mobility impairment criteria will be issued for 12 months, the applicant holds or has held a badge and misuse has led to a relevant conviction of an offence(, the applicant fails to provide the local authority with adequate evidence of their eligibility, either as an individual or as an eligible organisation, the applicant fails to provide adequate evidence of residency, the applicant already holds a valid badge issued by another local authority or, has reasonable grounds for believing that the applicant is not the person, they are claiming to be or would permit another person to whom the badge was not issued to use the badge, the required fee has not been paid in respect to organisational or replacement badges, the application has been declined, from the information provided, because they do not meet the eligibility criteria as laid down in legislation, the specific reason for declining the application with as much information as possible, if the applicant finds that their condition deteriorates rapidly and their ability to walk gets worse, or where a new disability occurs which renders them unable to walk or causes considerable difficulty to walk, to contact the local authority and, what internal review procedures are available, that the applicant has a relevant conviction or, in cases where a badge is required to be returned, that the badge was obtained by false representation, the holders of badges issued by the authority and, the vehicle or vehicles for which each of the badges is held, parking in the wrong place or at the wrong time, using a badge that is no longer valid (i.e. See regulation 7(1) of the 2000 regulations. Following the investigation, the council has agreed to offer a proper assessment to more than 25 people and review its policies to avoid similar issues recurring. Welsh Government considers it important to establish procedures for the return of expired badges; it may be a case of simple exchange, an expired badge for a new issue. If you are eligible for a Blue Badge you can use the link to go straight to the application form on the gov.uk website. Typically this would be done to check the detailed information and the photograph of the badge holder on the back of the badge, in order to verify whether the badge is being used by the correct person. Your local council decides on the charge for a Blue Badge and you pay the money 2000/1786) (the 2000 regulations). Damaged badges should also be returned to the local authority to be officially destroyed (Footnote 17). People with these conditions may be eligible for a badge, but only if they are in receipt of HRMCDLA on account of their condition or are unable to walk or have very considerable difficulty in walking, in addition to their condition. Effective enforcement is resource intensive and authorities may find it makes sense to focus their attention on those areas where the most fraud appears to take place. A local authority will need to ask the applicant to provide further evidence. Apply for a disabled parking space on the public highway, Find disabled parking in Swansea car parks. You can follow the link provided here to tailor your experience, or accept all and continue on this page. the eligibility criteria, the fee that can be charged by local authorities for the issue, or reissue of a badge, the grounds for refusal to issue a badge and the grounds to withdraw a badge, the circumstances in which a badge should be returned to the issuing authority, Blue Badge Digital Service (BBDS) decision to refuse to issue or to withdraw a badge, the manner in which the badge should be displayed and, the concessions available nationally under the scheme to badge holders, secure printing, supply and distribution of a Blue Badge, a common store of key information on badges and badge holders to enable verification checks to be made quickly and easily, either from a PC or via smart phones or similar technology, a web-based management information system for local authorities, a national online application form available via GOV.UK, eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation and any other conduct prohibited by the Equality Act, advance equality of opportunity between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not and, foster good relations between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not, full address, including postcode and photo of the applicant, organisation name (this must be less than 30 characters to appear on the badge), forename and surname of the contact for the organisation and full address including postcode, either an organisation logo or a reason for not supplying one, confirmation the organisation cares for eligible people, confirmation that the care includes transportation, civil partnership/dissolution certificate, understands the application process and has answered the questions honestly, understands that they will need to abide by the rules of the scheme, understands how the data provided will be used by the council and, where necessary, has given permission for data sharing in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulations, gives their consent for the release of medical and other information required for assessing eligibility, assessments undertaken by service providers within the local authority, 79: restricted to vehicles in conformity with the specifications stated in brackets, school Individual Development Plan or Additional Learning Provision statement, social worker, play specialist, teacher or teaching assistant, memory clinic/specialist nurse or therapist. An example recall letter in these circumstances is provided at Annex E. The Tell Us Once system should be used to ensure that Blue Badges are cancelled as soon as possible after the badge holder dies. You will need to re-apply for a Blue a person with a serious illness where the treatment may be debilitating, for example treatment for cancer; a person with severe functional leg impairments who is awaiting or who has undergone joint replacement (e.g. Photographs do not need to be provided for organisational badges. If an applicant wishes to challenge a decision not to award a badge you should explain that these descriptors and qualifying scoring are detailed in regulations. If a person collects a badge in person from the local authority this can be an opportunity to highlight to the badge holder key facts pertinent to the use of the badge. Medical conditions such as asthma, Crohns disease, conditions leading to incontinence and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (M.E.) When you are eligible for a Blue Badge. This should be signed by a Board Member or Trustee of the organisation. This part of the criteria is intended to identify people with serious chest, lung or heart conditions who may be physically able to walk normally. Eligibility should be carefully considered to maximise the fairness and consistency of decision making on eligibility for a badge before it is issued. We use cookies to collect anonymous data to help us improve your site browsing Parking badges for people with impairments from countries outside the EU vary in design and it would be hard for local enforcement officers to verify their authenticity; inspection of a badge would be advisable where there is doubt. It is used to monitor where a child may need access to oxygen, Casts and associated medical equipment for the correction of hip dysplasia: between birth and six months of age, a brace called a Pavlik Harness can be used to hold the babys hips in position. The length of time that an applicant is able to walk for. The leaflet explains clearly their rights and responsibilities as a badge holder along with other useful information about where badge holders can park. Please note that some police forces will only issue an incident number when there is evidence that a crime has taken place. Applicants who can walk more than 80 metres (87.5 yards) and do not demonstrate very considerable difficulty in walking through any other factors would not be deemed as eligible. A local authority may require the return of a badge on account of its misuse leading to a relevant conviction or where the authority is satisfied that the badge was obtained by false representation (Footnote 12). in disabled parking spaces. It is recommended that proof of address be provided in the form of an original council tax bill bearing the applicants name and address. You do not receive the higher rate mobility component of Disability Living Allowance (DLA). Renew a Blue Badge. Visit 'Set cookie preferences' to control specific cookies. Local authorities will need to ensure that they check the BBDS for any applications received through GOV.UK. For example, if an applicant is only able to walk for less than one minute in total then walking is likely to be very difficult for them. If you already have a Blue Badge and its nearly expired, or if you want to check if you're eligibleyou can apply or re-applyonlineon GOV.UK. Proof of both award of a lump sum benefit at tariffs 1 to 8 of the Armed Forces; Reserve Forces (Compensation) Scheme and certification of having a permanent and substantial disability which causes inability to walk or very considerable difficulty in walking; or is in receipt of Armed Forces Compensation Scheme at tariff 6 for a permanent mental disorder, causing severe functional limitation or restriction. Click 'Accept all cookies' to agree to all cookies that collect anonymous data. Such locations include commuter hubs, colleges, stations, shopping centres, sports grounds and entertainment venues, or anywhere that parking is in high demand. They should produce appropriate evidence of authority when exercising their powers; otherwise there is no obligation on an individual to hand their badge to the enforcement officer. Blue Badges are free in Wales. This is partly to improve rates of enforcement and showing a greater return on the upfront costs of the work, but also to focus attention on those areas where people with impairments are most disadvantaged by desirable spaces being occupied. An organisation is defined as meaning an organisation concerned with the care of disabled persons to which a Blue Badge may be issued in accordance with section 21(4) of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970 (Footnote 2).. You will need to re-apply for a Blue Badge at the end of the 3 years. Some local authorities enable the general public to report abuse or misuse. Some councils have paper application forms or can help you with your application. The BBDS will enable quicker and easier verification checks by civil enforcement officers. When you apply you will need to provide a DS 1500 form or a supporting letter from a Macmillan or Tenovus nurse. It may also be possible to use Section 11 of the Fraud Act 2006 (relating to obtaining services dishonestly) to take enforcement action when vehicles are fraudulently using Blue Badges to gain parking concessions in off-road parking areas. See regulation 8(3) of the 2000 regulations. This will probably have been done at the initial application stage in the Declaration section of the Blue Badge application form. In addition, some disabilities may not be immediately visible. antibiotics), or by subcutaneous injection (e.g. The badge must firstly be returned to the issuing authority by the enforcing authority and then to the holder. Applications made under the temporary eligibility category will need to be subject to a robust assessment process. The intelligent use of cross-checking existing council records may identify information to support an application under the subject to further assessment walking criterion. Local authorities should also keep a record of the procedures used and the outcome of applications. Support may be available from Citizens Advice, British Red Cross, Age UK, Shaw Trust or you can contact SCVS for details of other support organisations. A script for civil enforcement officers when dealing with suspected misuse can be found at Annex I. The serious deterioration that occurs does not need to be permanent but it should require medical intervention for them to recover. It can take up to 12 weeks to process an application. The Blue Badge scheme provides a national range of parking concessions to help people who are severely sight impaired, or permanently physically impaired, travel independently. You'll need some information to apply or re-apply for a Blue Badge. The local authority will require additional information to support this claim. To qualify under this criteria an applicant must have a permanent and substantial disability (i.e. The Welsh Government has provided guidance and funded an Independent Assessment Service to help authorities undertake assessments. Select your council. Without sufficient evidence that the applicant meets the eligibility criteria the authority must not issue a Blue Badge. There is a wide range of legislation available to enforcement authorities to enforce the Blue Badge scheme. This includes full pocket book notes (or electronic equivalent), such as descriptions of any persons seen, who parks the vehicle, gets out of the vehicle and where they go upon leaving. The applicants driving license should be coded as either of the following: Each Blue Badge application should be treated on a case-by-case basis and the final decision about whether an applicant meets the criterion is for the issuing local authority to make. In order to meet this duty a public authority must embed equality considerations in everything they do, including decisions relating to the design and delivery of parking enforcement. When using this marker to check that the correct badge holder is using the badge, officers should be aware of, and deal sensitively with, individuals who may have undergone - or be undergoing - gender reassignment. In order to help determine eligibility of applications, local authorities could ask the applicant organisations: The Regulations governing the scheme does not specifically mention actual numbers to be cared for in order to qualify for a badge. Eligible organisations may apply for an organisational badge in their own right, however, Welsh Government recommends that where relatively few people meet the eligibility criteria for a badge that the eligible people themselves or their carer /relative should apply for the badge. This then allows the eligible person to use the badge independently of the organisation in any vehicle they travel in as a driver or passenger to visit family/friends or medical appointments etc. See regulation 9(2) of the 2000 regulations. Local authorities are responsible for checking that applicants have provided relevant and sufficient evidence in support of their application. Local authorities procedures for administering the Blue Badge Scheme need to incorporate the Blue Badge Digital Service (BBDS). The local authority may wish to contact the certifying person where deemed necessary. See regulation 8(2) of the 2000 regulations. Guidance for local authorities on how to deliver the Blue Badge Scheme. Last updated: 25 January 2021. Common examples of organisations that may be eligible include residential care homes, hospices or local authority social services departments that transport groups of people who would meet the eligibility criteria for an individual Blue Badge. The Disabled Persons Parking Badges Act 2013 does not empower the local authority to use force when attempting to retain a badge. Your local council deals with all Blue Badge enquiries. See regulation 9(1)(c) of the 2000 regulations. However, when a valid badge is retained under (d) above it should normally be returned to the holder. You have not received money under the subject to further assessment walking.. Help you with your application check against monthly death records supplied by the authority... Are responsible for checking that applicants have provided relevant and sufficient evidence in support of application... Charge for a disabled parking in Swansea car parks to all cookies to! 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