Local authorities should make it clear when issuing the badge that it should be returned to them on expiry, or if the recipient no longer needs it, because the condition under which it was issued no longer applies. The Blue Badge (Disabled Persons Parking) scheme was introduced in 1971 under section 21 of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970. To only allow the cookies that make the site work, click 'Use essential cookies only.' There is no time limit set out in legislation on the period for which a local authority can refuse to issue a Blue Badge to an applicant. When a badge holder dies, their badge should be returned to the local authority (Footnote 14). This would cover, for example, cases where a badge has suffered accidental damage or where a badge may have been tampered with in some way. Local authorities may wish to consider that the badge may only be sent out to the Blue Badge holders address which could be a care home, as this is the address used to conduct a residency check. 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. They are responsible for determining and implementing administrative, assessment and enforcement procedures in accordance with the governing legislation. 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. This shines light through the skin and monitors the amount of oxygen in the blood. WebThe Blue Badge scheme helps you park nearer to your destination if you have a disability. Check if you are eligible for a Blue Badge, Please select the option that applies to you. You are not completely unable to walk, have considerable difficulty walking or have substantial impairment to mobility. Eligibility. The issuing authority may wish to warn the holder about the seriousness of misuse when returning the badge. This group may also need to stop to perform an urgent medical procedure e.g. This allows a more comprehensive analysis of statistics by local authorities and Welsh Government. Welsh Government provides funding to local authorities to cover the cost of the Blue Badge through the Revenue Settlement Grant. You do not have a severe disability in both arms. WebThe Blue Badge scheme provides a national range of parking concessions to help people who are severely sight impaired, or permanently physically impaired, travel 14. Your local council decides on the charge for a Blue Badge and you pay the money to them. 1. The key responsibility of local authorities is to ensure that badges are only issued to those applicants who meet the strict eligibility criteria set out in the relevant legislation. Some local authorities enable the general public to report abuse or misuse. An applicant in receipt of Higher Rate Mobility Component of Disability Living Allowance (HRMCDLA) will have an award notice letter from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). Local authorities will need to deal with these on a case by case basis. Most local authorities have an internal fraud investigation team to consider council tax / benefit fraud etc. This is often very difficult for local authorities to prove, even when they know it is happening. That is because the power to retain a badge is not the same thing as a power to permanently withdraw/confiscate a badge. It may also be relevant to consider whether an applicant who is not using any form of walking aid at the time of their application could improve their walking ability, to the extent that they would no longer demonstrate very considerable difficulty in walking, through the correct use of such an aid. The Welsh Government has provided guidance and funded an Independent Assessment Service to help authorities undertake assessments. The line can also be used for injecting medication, Syringe drivers: are used to deliver medication by intravenous injection (e.g. Use our checker to find out if you are eligible for a Blue Badge. A person can be convicted of forging or copying a blue badge and/or using that forgery/copy under this Act. 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. If your application is not successful, you can ask for a review. The disability must last at least 12 months, In these cases Welsh Government recommends that the application is assessed by the Independent Assessment Service, to determine if the applicant meets the mobility and the time criteria, Drives a vehicle regularly, has a disability in both arms and is unable to operate, or has considerable difficulty in operating, all or some types of parking equipment. You can also contact your local authority to apply for a Blue Badge. Publicising a helpline (if sufficiently resourced to be useful) also serves as a deterrent to potential fraudulent Blue Badge users and it instils confidence among people with impairments that the council is responding to this serious issue. The 2000 regulations now make it explicit that a valid badge retained because it is being misused must be returned as soon as reasonably practicable to the holder (provided that the authority does not have pre-existing grounds, under the regulations, for withdrawing the badge). Whilst an original assessment may have determined that they meet the criteria for a period of more than 12 months, consideration will need to be given to the applicants recovery or progress as well as anything else which could affect or change the original prognosis. The scheme provides a national arrangement throughout the UK of on-street parking concessions for people who experience the greatest barriers to their mobility when seeking to access community based facilities. The local authority must ensure that a robust assessment can be made, using healthcare professional evidence, including reports, letters (not appointment letters) summaries and assessments by relevant healthcare professionals involved in an applicants care. GOV.WALES uses cookies which are essential for the site to work. An individuals eligibility for a Blue Badge is considered in terms of being eligible with or without further assessment. A Blue Badge usually lasts for 3 years. In these circumstances a badge would not only be necessary to that person for periods but will become increasingly essential. The fact that a walking aid is or is not used may be relevant to the eventual decision, but this alone should not determine whether or not a Blue Badge is issued. 4. 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. People who may be issued with a badge without further assessment are those who are more than two years old and fall within one or more of the automatic eligibility descriptions below. Local authorities should also keep a record of the procedures used and the outcome of applications. We can then make an appointment at theCivic Centre, Oystermouth Road, Swansea SA1 3SN at a convenient time. Each applicant for an individual badge will be asked to supply a passport-size photograph to be scanned into the BBDS. People with epilepsy will need to show (by providing healthcare professional evidence) that any fits were brought about by the effort required to walk. This includes taxis and hire cars that you're driving, or travelling in as a passenger. If you don't have a drive, garage or other place to park your car in the boundary of your property then we may consider creating a disabled persons parking space. Local authorities can be flexible in how they use these powers, to address their own local circumstances and the specifics of each case. Blue Badges are not renewed automatically and your eligibility will be checked again. You might have to pay to use off-street car parks, such as: It is important that local authorities deal with applications made by transsexual and transgender people sensitively, and issue badges under the requested gender. These can help to combat fraud and allow the local authority to cross-check relevant information with other council departments. Furthermore, the enforcement officer does not need to be in uniform but they do need to be authorised in writing by the authority to carry out badge inspections and retentions. Youll need a recent digital photo showing your head and shoulders. Report a lost, stolen or misused Blue Badge. Even if they are not present, the badge holder may have been dropped at that place or may be being picked up from that place. If no such evidence is provided, the local authority will need to decide whether to refer the application to the IAS. This will likely require evidence from consultants, specialists or therapists and this may be providedby. The discretionary criteria relating to mobility and cognitive impairments enable applicants who are unable, or choose not, to apply for DLA or PIP to have an opportunity to apply for a Blue Badge. In accordance with the Equality Act 2010, local authorities should provide information about the scheme bilingually and in accessible formats on their website and at locations that are accessible. Without sufficient evidence that the applicant meets the eligibility criteria the authority must not issue a Blue Badge. 2000/1786) (the 2000 regulations). Changing or handing back a WebIf you've been refused a Blue Badge This advice applies to England If youve been refused a Blue Badge, you can ask for the decision to be reviewed by the council. This will help the authority to provide greater transparency to applicants and to demonstrate that correct procedures have been followed in event of a complaint. You'll need some information to apply or re-apply for a Blue Badge. If the organisation uses a vehicle to transport disabled people who would normally get a badge themselves they may be able to get a Blue Badge for the organisation. Photographs do not need to be provided for organisational badges. any questions or problems you have after you get your badge. Where an applicant has provided a caravan or mobile home site address on their application, local authorities will need to verify this information. Under section 21(4BA) of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970 (the 1970 Act), a police officer, parking attendant or civil enforcementofficer can approach a person in a vehicle displaying a Blue Badge (or a person who appears to have been in or to be about to get into, the vehicle) and require them to produce the badge for inspection. The Blue Badge should be issued for the same period or for three years, whichever is the shorter period. Local authorities should ask for a copy of the original letter if the HRMCDLA has been awarded within a period of 12 months prior to the date of the application for a Blue Badge. suction of a tracheostomy tube: It is recommended that local authorities treat each application for children under the age of three as a special case. Local authorities should make it clear when issuing a badge that it should be returned to the issuing authority if the recipient no longer needs it (Footnote 13). You will need to re-apply for a Blue Local authorities are allowed to charge a fee of up to 10.00 for an organisational or replacement badge. Damaged badges should also be returned to the local authority to be officially destroyed (Footnote 17). We provide powered scooters, wheelchairs and manual wheelchairs to help people who have limited mobility (through permanent or temporary disablement, illness, accident or age) to shop or visit other facilities within Swansea City Centre. The rules under which badges are awarded are set by the Welsh Government. 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. You have not received money under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme Tariff 1-8 (inclusive). For example, if a person can walk relatively normally with the use of a walking stick, then they should not be considered as meeting the criteria to be eligible to receive a Blue Badge. When you apply you will need to provide an original award letter from the Department of Work and Pensions which shows your entitlement for this benefit. On summary conviction a person may receive a fine of up to 5,000, a maximum prison sentence of 6 months or both. You do not receive the higher rate mobility component of Disability Living Allowance (DLA). Targeted operations are often the most effective ways of tackling abuse. If this is to be successful, they must be able to demonstrate that the information supplied can be acted on and responded to. Welsh Government understands that some local authorities may offer further assessment of the applicant by an occupational therapist or other health professionals. 8. The local authority that issued the badge is able to change the address details and inform the new local authority through the BBDS system. It is recommended that local authorities have a clear policy on how much, and under which circumstances, they will charge for a replacement badge and organisational badge. The social model of disability makes an important distinction between impairment and disability. A carer can apply on behalf of any applicant however they must read and sign the declarations within the application, stating their relationship to the applicant. Additionally local authorities will need to consider how to collect expired badges. This non-statutory guidance has been prepared by the Welsh Government to assist local authorities in administrating the Blue Badge Scheme. This is considered to be good practice because a badge holder is less likely to falsely claim that a badge has been stolen if required to formally report this to the police. Local authorities in Wales are not able to charge individual holders for their Blue Badge. This ensures that civil enforcement officers and the police checking the validity of badges displayed in vehicles are able to check badge details. Get further help with a Blue Badge. We use cookies on this site to enhance the user experience. The applicants posture, rhythm, coordination, balance and stride should be considered in terms of the degree of effect they have on their ability to walk. The BBDS, provided by Valtech Ltd includes: Local authorities have instant access to details on Blue Badge holders from anywhere in Great Britain, not just in their local authority area. For an organisational badge the mandatory fields for applications through BBDS are: Local authority officers will need to set up an account to gain access and will need to consider how they integrate the BBDS into their daily working procedures. Applicants will still need to provide the appropriate photographs, any supporting documents required (i.e. Your Blue Badge is not renewed automatically. Mobility Activity 1 plus Mobility Activity 2. WebRequest a Blue Badge to replace one thats been lost, stolen or damaged. 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. Therapist or other health professionals a maximum prison sentence of 6 months or both meets the eligibility criteria the must! On summary conviction a person may receive a fine of up to,. 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