Blue Badge eligibility criteria

If you have been given a medical prognosis of less than a year to live or have a DS1500, please speak to your MacMillan nurse, hospice worker, specialist nurse, GP or health professional who will complete a form on your behalf. You do not have to complete an application.

You automatically qualify if you are:

• In receipt of the Higher Rate Mobility Component – this will be confirmed in the letter from the DWP.

You do not automatically qualify if you are in receipt of:

• Low or Middle Rate Mobility Component
• the Care Component at any rate (unless you are also in receipt of the Higher Rate Mobility Component)
• Attendance Allowance at any rate
• Pension Credit.

You may still qualify if you apply under another criterion. To find out more, visit our Blue Badge eligibility criteria (opens new window) page.

You automatically qualify if your PIP decision letter matches at least one of the benefits below. When you apply, you must provide a photo or scanned image of your decision letter showing the matching benefit.

You qualify if you receive either of these two benefits:

• Mobility - Moving around - 8 points (or more) 
• Mobility - Planning and following journeys - exactly 10 points with descriptor E - You cannot undertake any journey because it would cause overwhelming psychological distress.

You also do not automatically qualify if you are in receipt of:

• a score of 7 or less under the ‘moving around’ activity of the Mobility Component of Personal Independence Payment
• the Daily Living Component of Personal Independence Payment (unless you are also in receipt of a score of 8 points or more of the Mobility Component).

You may still qualify if you apply under another criterion. To find out more, visit our Blue Badge eligibility criteria (opens new window) page.

You automatically qualify if you:

• have been awarded a lump sum benefit at tariffs 1-8 of the Armed Forces and Reserve Forces (Compensation) Scheme and certification of having a permanent and substantial difficulty which causes inability to walk or very considerable difficulty in walking.

You do not automatically qualify if you:

• have been awarded a lump sum benefit at tariff 9 – 15 of the Armed Forces and Reserve Forces (Compensation) Scheme
• are in receipt of a lump sum benefit at tariffs 1-8 of the Armed Forces and Reserve Forces (Compensation) Scheme without certification of having a permanent and substantial difficulty which causes inability to walk or very considerable difficulty in walking.

You may still qualify if you apply under another criterion. To find out more, visit our Blue Badge eligibility criteria (opens new window) page.

You automatically qualify if you are:

• in receipt of the War Pensioners Mobility Supplement. This is confirmed on the award letter from Veterans UK.

You do not automatically qualify if you are:

• in receipt of a War Disablement Pension without a mobility component.

You may still qualify if you apply under another criterion. To find out more, visit our Blue Badge eligibility criteria (opens new window) page.

You automatically qualify if you are either:

• registered blind/severely sight impaired with your local authority

• have a Certificate of Visual Impairment (CVI – previously known as the BD8 form) signed by a consultant ophthalmologist.

You do not automatically qualify if you are partially sighted.

You may still qualify if you apply under another criterion. To find out more, visit our Blue Badge eligibility criteria (opens new window) page.

This is not an automatically qualifying criterion. You'll need to answer some questions about your condition and provide evidence to support your application. The outcome may include attending a face-to-face assessment.

Enduring and substantial disability

You qualify if you have an enduring and substantial disability that:

• is likely to last for the next three years
• has been an ongoing issue
• means you are unable to walk or causes you to experience very considerable difficulty whilst walking.

Unable to walk

Being unable to walk means that you can't take a single step.

Considerable difficulty in walking

Considerable difficulty in walking is determined by considering the following:

• Excessive pain when walking or as a consequence of walking
• Breathlessness when walking or as a consequence of the effort of walking
• The speed at which you can walk
• The length of time you are able to walk for
• The manner in which you walk
• Whether walking aids are used
• Your outdoor walking ability.

You do not qualify if:

• you have a temporary disability or intermittent mobility issues
• you are frail due to old age unless you also have a permanent and substantial physical disability
• you are under two years old
• you require a wide parking bay to open the car door unless you are also unable to walk, or have severe difficulty walking in addition to your condition
• you struggle to get in or out of a vehicle unless you are also unable to walk, or have severe difficulty walking in addition to your condition
• you need access to facilities to manage bowel or bladder incontinence unless you are also unable to walk, or have severe difficulty walking in addition to your condition
• you struggle to carry shopping unless you are also unable to walk, or have severe difficulty walking in addition to your condition.

This is not an automatically qualifying criterion. When applying under this criteria, you'll need to answer some questions about your condition and provide evidence to support your application.

Enduring and substantial disability or condition

You qualify if you have an enduring and substantial disability or condition that:

• is likely to last for the next three years
• has been an ongoing issue
• means you are unable to walk or causes you to experience very considerable difficulty whilst walking.

This could include one or more of the following when walking.

• You experience very considerable psychological distress
• You are at risk of serious harm
• You pose a risk of serious harm to another person

This is not an automatically qualifying criterion. You'll need to answer some questions about your condition and provide evidence to support your application. The outcome may include attending a face-to-face assessment.

You qualify if you drive a vehicle regularly and have a permanent and severe disability in both arms and are unable to operate all or some types of parking meter.

You do not qualify if you have:

• a permanent and severe disability in both arms but don't drive a vehicle regularly
• a permanent and severe disability in only one arm
• a severe disability in both arms which is not permanent.

This is not an automatically qualifying criterion. You'll need to answer some questions about your child's condition and provide evidence to support their application. The outcome may include attending a face-to-face assessment.

Your child qualifies if they have a specific medical condition which means that they need to be kept near a vehicle at all times so that they can, if necessary, be treated in the vehicle or quickly driven to a place where they can be treated such as a hospital.

This is not an automatically qualifying criterion. When applying under this criteria, you'll need to answer some questions about your child's condition and provide evidence to support their application.

Your child qualifies if they have a specific medical condition which means that they must always be accompanied by bulky medical equipment which cannot be carried around without great difficulty.