Blue Badge Extension

The Welsh government has announced plans to extend the Blue Badge Scheme formobility cars to people with severe cognitive impairments like autism and those with learning difficulties.

At present to qualify automatically for a Blue Badge you need to receive the Higher Rate Mobility Component of Disability Living Allowance (HRMCDLA).  To be eligible for both HRMCDLA and a Blue Badge applicants should either be unable, or virtually unable, to walk or have a number of other disabilities, including visual impairment.

Extending Eligibility

The plans by the Welsh government mean that to qualify automatically for a Blue Badge in Wales you will need to gain eight or more points in ‘moving about’ criteria or 12 points or more in ‘planning a journey’ criteria.

The changes in Wales mean that automatic qualification for a Blue Badge will be extend to people who:

• Cannot follow the route of a familiar journey without another person, an assistance dog or an orientation aid.
• Can stand and then move but for no more than 50 metres.

Disappointingly individuals who are not eligible for PIP support will currently not be able to qualify for a badge under these criteria.  The Welsh government, however, says it will review how those under 16 or over 65 would be able to qualify in the future.

The Minister for Transport, Carl Sargeant said: “Extending eligibility to the Blue Badge scheme is a key element of our commitment to modernising the scheme.  This commitment has been reflected by the fact that Wales is the first country to extend eligibility for a Blue Badge to people with cognitive impairments.”

In Wales there are around 230,000 Blue Badges in use and 2.5 million across the UK.  England and Scotland have yet to release what their legislative link would be between PIP and a Blue Badge.

Badge Decline

While the number of badges in Wales is set to increase, figures recently released by the Department for Transport revealed there are less Blue Badges being issued in England.

In March last year the number of Blue Badges in use in England dropped from 2.65 million to 2.62 million, a fall of 1.1 per cent.  This is the first year the mobility cars parking scheme has experienced a decline since 1997.

The reduction has been driven by a decline of 4.3 per cent in the number of badges issued under the ‘subject to further assessment’ criteria last year.