a parking permit for disabled drivers or passengers is referred to as a Blue Badge. The permits are valid for three years and are usually issued to those who have a registered disability which affects their mobility. If you are registered as blind, you will also automatically qualify for the Blue Badge scheme. The parking permit may be used to park in disabled spaces in the UK and in all countries within the European Union and the European Economic Area. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own websites. The application fee depends on the country in which you are living. Aside from the routes mentioned above, there is no way to legally obtain a disabled parking permit. Any other websites or companies offering this possibility may be fraudulent, so please do not use them. The specific criteria used to assess eligibility are as follows. If any of the below apply, you must provide evidence in the application form, along with proof of your identity and residency.
You will not, however, have to visit your local authority in person to attend a mobility assessment. You have either a Certificate of Vision Impairment (CVI) or a BD8 form, signed by a consultant ophthalmologist, stating that you are severely sight impaired (blind) and wish to be registered as severely sight impaired (blind) with your local authority. You receive the Higher Rate of the Mobility Component of the Disability Living Allowance. You receive a Personal Independence Payment (PIP) as you meet a 'Moving Around' descriptor for the Mobility Component because you either cannot stand or can stand but walk no more than 50 metres. This is a score of 8 points or more. You receive a War Pensioners' Mobility Supplement. You receive a tariff within 1-8 (inclusive) of the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme and have been assessed as having a permanent and substantial disability which causes inability to walk or very considerable difficulty in walking. In the following instances, you may be eligible, but will first have to attend a mobility assessment.
Once you have applied online, you can track and amend your application if necessary. If your application is unsuccessful, your local council should inform you of the reasons why. You can appeal if you feel the wrong decision has been made, or if your mobility worsens. There is only one type of permit available, and it is very important that you display the Blue Badge face up on your windscreen. The expiry date must not be obscured. Some rightful permit holders have been given parking tickets because the date on their Blue Badge was partially covered. Some car parks have a maximum time limit for their disabled bays and hand out disabled parking disks when you enter. These require you to adjust the disc until it shows your time of arrival. If you do receive a parking disc, it is very important that you make sure it does not cover your Blue Badge when you place it on your windscreen.
A Blue Badge allows a driver to park in disabled bays around the UK, but it is linked to the holder, not the vehicle. This means that Blue Badge holders may use it in a hire car as well as their own vehicle. If a person in possession of a Blue Badge is travelling as a passenger, or is being picked up by someone, the driver of that vehicle may park in a disabled bay. In addition to this, a Blue Badge normally allows you to park for free on streets with parking meters or pay-and-display machines. In private car parks, however, such as at hospitals or shopping centres, you will usually have to pay even if you have a valid Blue Badge. A further benefit is that you may park on single or double yellow lines for up to 3 hours. In some cases, there may be a ‘no loading’ sign displayed. Some councils allow Blue Badge holders to park in spite of the ‘no loading’ instruction and some do not.
To read more about disabled parking follow the link provided.
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