The speed at which they are able to walk. If the local authority is using a specialist in functional mobility they need to determine whether the application meets the criteria found in Appendix B. Blue badge disabled parking permits BBC Shared Data Unit made this Freedom of Information request to Swansea Council as part of a batch sent to 216 However, like other successful applicants, it is recommended that organisations issued with a Blue Badge are sent a copy of the leaflet The Blue Badge Scheme: Organisational rights and responsibilities. It is expected that all applicants reapplying for a Blue Badge under the temporary criteria, having previously been issued a badge under the same criteria, will be referred to the IAS for assessment unless there is sufficient evidence available to the authority to allow them to make a decision. It is important to consider the persons ability to negotiate the types of pavement or road one would normally expect to find in the course of walking outdoors. To only allow the cookies that make the site work, click 'Use essential cookies only.' You have a child under the age of three who has a medical condition which requires bulky medical equipment or needs to always be near a vehicle. You are not Registered blind or do not have a severe sight impairment. GOV.WALES uses cookies which are essential for the site to work. Non-essential cookies are also used to tailor and improve services. Local authorities may require the return of a badge from a resident where another local authority issues the same person with a badge and both badges are valid at the same time (Footnote 18). 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. 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. This process can be made easier through the use of technology. Your eligibility will be checked every time you reapply. Renew a Blue Badge. Please do not provide any personal information, All content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0, except for graphic assets and where otherwise stated, Report a lost, stolen or misused Blue Badge, which need face to face appointments or assessments, getting all the support you need to get around. The BBDS system will facilitate this. Very often the person using the badge will admit on questioning that the holder is not involved in the journey; some local authorities telephone the holder to establish their whereabouts. If you think you might have difficulty accessing the Civic Centre, please mention this to the Blue Badge team when you telephone, and we will tell you about the arrangements we have made to help you. This includes: the application process and help to apply. . If your application is not successful, you can ask for a review. It is more difficult to verify lost badges, because very few police authorities will provide an incident number for lost articles. parking in the wrong place, not displaying the badge or clock correctly) and issue Penalty Charge Notices. You can follow the link provided here to tailor your experience, or accept all and continue on this page. They will give you a decision in around 12 weeks. in pay and display bays. 12. To aid the inspection process, a gender marker has been added to the badge serial number. WebThe Blue Badge scheme helps you park nearer to your destination if you have a disability. Local authorities have a statutory obligation under section 21(5) of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970 to maintain a register showing: A robust system that can identify badge holders within a local authority is invaluable not only to issuing authorities, but also to police and enforcement authorities in dealing with instances of misuse, stolen or fraudulent badges. Parking WebUse our checker to find out if you are eligible for a Blue Badge. Youll also need a photo or scan of your: proof of identity (such as a birth certificate, passport or driving licence), proof of address (such as a Council Tax bill or government letter), your National Insurance number (if you have one), the details of your current Blue Badge (if youre reapplying). Removing expired badges from circulation will reduce fraud. on single and double yellow lines if it's safe to so and there are no loading restrictions. They make take longer than usual to send you a reply. Those who abuse or misuse the Blue Badge scheme may find it easy to convince themselves that no one really suffers as a consequence of the abuse or misuse, or that it is acceptable because everyone does it. 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. 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. They are also issued with an annual uprating letter, stating their entitlement. The badge holder will also be given the booklet Blue Badge rights and responsibilities so that they are aware of how to use the badge and avoid inadvertent misuse. The photograph is a key feature in reducing abuse of the scheme and enabling effective enforcement. 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. The badge holder does not need to be issued with a replacement badge with the new local authority name. Bear in mind that healthcare professionals do encourage mild exercise to improve certain conditions so these cases will need to be looked at and considered on an individual basis. Mobility Activity 1 plus Mobility Activity 2. Apply for a disabled parking space on the public highway, Find disabled parking in Swansea car parks. It is for the local authority to decide their own procedures and these may include drop-in centres, telephone, postal and online services. Examples of cognitive impairments are given below: The application will need to show evidence that because of their cognitive impairment the person is unable to plan and follow any journey, in the form of the following: In those cases where an applicant cannot provide this evidence but can provide evidence of an award of Higher Rate Care Component of Disability Living Allowance, the case should be sent to the Independent Advisory Service established by Welsh Government for advice on eligibility. You do not receive War Pensioners Mobility Supplement. You have not received money under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme Tariff 1-8 (inclusive). In these circumstances it will not be necessary for the applicant to provide proof that their impairment has existed for six months and will continue to exist. In cases where the local authority has accepted and processed an application by telephone, post or electronically and have not seen the applicant, the local authority may prefer that the applicant collects the badge. It is recommended good practice that identity be checked through one of the following forms of evidence: Local authorities may also use a holistic approach to establish identity because it is recognised that in some rare cases, an applicant will not have any of the above standard documentation. In these circumstances a badge would not only be necessary to that person for periods but will become increasingly essential. Accordingly, their name and personal details will have changed. You do not have a severe disability in both arms. We follow guidance set by the Welsh Government but they do not have the power to intervene in the assessment of individual cases. 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. You receive War Pensioners Mobility Supplement. Local authorities should consider developing a range of tools and techniques to deal with different types of offenders and different types of offences. This includes taxis and hire cars that you're driving, or travelling in as a passenger. No pavement or road is absolutely flat therefore a degree of incline and decline should be considered in the course of a mobility assessment. Local authorities are responsible for delivering the Blue Badge scheme and providing a service and information to people who want to apply for a Blue Badge. Local authorities will need to check whether the organisation in question: Applications for badges from organisations caring for people should be examined to ensure that they are genuine and necessary. See regulation 9(1)(b) of the 2000 regulations. 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. 7. We use cookies on this site to enhance the user experience. However, the legislation supporting the Scheme often contains language which does not reflect the social model of disability and assumes that disabled people are disabled by their impairments (or disabilities) and that is why we have used this language.The Welsh Government definition is published externally in Action on Disability: the right to independent living framework and action plan. You appear to be using an unsupported browser, and it may not be able to display this site properly. If a badge holder relocates to a new local authority it is the responsibility of the badge holder to inform the issuing authority of the change of address. There is a wide range of legislation available to enforcement authorities to enforce the Blue Badge scheme. You should reapply 12 weeks before your badge expires. Where an applicant has provided a caravan or mobile home site address on their application, local authorities will need to verify this information. Therefore this discretionary criteria ensures that there is equitable access to the Blue Badge scheme for children aged between 3 and 16 and people over 65 years old. Assessing applications under discretionary criteria can be challenging. You do not receive the higher rate mobility component of Disability Living Allowance (DLA). Other professionals with knowledge who may be able to provide evidence are: It is important to ensure that the evidence gathered allows the local authority to assess using case-by-case evidence relevant to that individual. Local authorities can verify the eligibility of an applicant by contacting Veterans UK on 0808 191 4218. The most commonly reported problems tend to relate to misuse of the Blue Badge by the friends and family of the badge holder. 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. 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. The rightful owner can take action to recover the goods through the civil courts. You can still apply for a Blue Badge but coronavirus is affecting council services. The badge remains the legal property of the issuing local authority, so it is unlawful for someone else to sell a badge. Impairment is the thing about the individual that is different, affecting their appearance or how they function and possibly causing difficulties such as pain or fatigue. Disability, by contrast is the disadvantage experienced by people with impairments as a result of the way the environment is constructed, the way in which a service is delivered or the attitudes of those providing services. 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. You may wish to upgrade your browser. Contact your local council if need help reapplying for a Blue Badge. They need to be able to share the information they have on badge holders. First published: 1 May 2017. You should speak to us first about this and not ask your GP for a letter. 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. In these cases, the applicant may not have been made aware that they are terminally ill. Children under the age of three are eligible for a badge if they fall under either or both of the following criteria: Examples of children under the age of three likely to fall into the criterion mentioned in the first bullet point may be those who need to be accompanied at all times by any of the following types of equipment: Examples of children with highly unstable medical conditions who need quick access to transport to hospital or home and are likely to qualify under the criterion are set out below. a condition that is likely to last for the duration of a persons life) that means they cannot walk, or means they have very considerable difficulty walking. 9. The Welsh Government has made the following publications available on their website so that they can be downloaded and printed locally: In addition, large print, Braille and audio versions of The Blue Badge Scheme: rights and responsibilities in Wales are available on request from BlueBadge@gov.wales. WebThe Blue Badge is linked to you rather than a vehicle, so you can use it with any car. The scheme is open to eligible people who may be travelling as a driver or a passenger. Policy and background Includes 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. The eligibility criteria for a temporary Blue Badge is based on the applicant being unable to walk or having considerable difficulty walking, and uses the same measure of mobility as used for the permanent eligibility criteria. For an individual person badge the mandatory fields for applications through BBDS are: Whilst the National Insurance Number is not a mandatory field, the Welsh Government recommends that local authorities complete this field, where possible, because it is helpful in confirming the identity of an applicant. This allows a more comprehensive analysis of statistics by local authorities and Welsh Government. Where local authorities perceive misuse of the Blue Badge by friends and family of the badge holder to be a significant problem, it is possible for them to obtain authorisation to carry out undercover surveillance under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (Footnote 19). We use cookies on this site to enhance the user experience. You will need to re-apply for a Blue Wherever possible we recommend that this process involves the badge holder collecting their replacement badge from their local authority offices or a nearby contact centre, so that it can be exchanged for the damaged badge. Surveillance can identify cases of suspected systematic abuse and build up evidence that can later be used to prosecute a person. This charge is at the discretion of the local authority. emphysema, heart conditions, etc.) They can be contacted via the free-phone enquiry number: 0808 191 4218. 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. Welsh Government understands that some local authorities may offer further assessment of the applicant by an occupational therapist or other health professionals. Local authorities are responsible for the day-to-day administration and enforcement of the scheme. See regulation 8(3) of the 2000 regulations. A photograph is taken of each badge and booklet dispatched by BBDS as evidence that they have been sent to the badge applicant. Some councils have paper application forms or can help you with your application. If they wish to appeal against their PIP award, then they should be directed to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). See regulation 6(4)9(c) of the 2000 regulations. When you are eligible for a Blue Badge. All applications should be handled sensitively and applicants and their carers treated with respect and courtesy, but this is particularly important when an applicant is terminally ill. BBDS have several delivery arrangements including fast track delivery for applications from people with a special case terminally ill (for an additional cost). Most local authorities have an internal fraud investigation team to consider council tax / benefit fraud etc. You are completely unable to walk, have considerable difficulty walking or substantial impairment to mobility. In cases where this is not possible badges may be delivered to the local authority office for collection. The following driving licence codes are relevant to this criterion: Only drivers with impairments in both of their arms who cannot operate a parking meter should be considered eligible. When you apply you will need to provide one of the following an appointment for a memory clinic; registration on the local authority learning disabilities register; a letter from a healthcare professional involved in the treatment. It will be important to identify people at the earliest opportunity and if possible whilst they are undergoing initial treatments and therapy to aid their recovery. This group may also need to stop to perform an urgent medical procedure e.g. You have a severe disability in both arms. Depending on the circumstances and local policies, the vehicle may also be removed to a pound. 4. You can reapply for a Blue Badge yourself, for someone else, or for an organisation (such as a care home). Select your council. 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. In such cases the applicant will have a simplified renewal process, only needing to supply evidence of their identity, residence and a photograph. Welsh Government recommends local authorities take full advantage of the BBDS to check the national database for key information about the status of individual badges. Local authorities are responsible for checking that applicants have provided relevant and sufficient evidence in support of their application. because it was reported lost or stolen, should have been returned to the issuing authority (e.g. There are currently no formal reciprocal arrangements in place for disabled parking badges issued outside the UK. in disabled parking spaces. Lost, stolen, faded or damaged Blue Badges. Good practice has been established whereby a badge is issued if their application is supported by MacMillan, Tenovus or relevant health specialist (such as a hospice worker, occupational therapist or welfare benefit advisor) that support people in these circumstances. Your local council processes your application. 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. If you do not agree with the decision not to award a Blue Badge to you and have information or evidence that was not given with your original application, you should send it to us within one calendar month of the date of the decision letter we sent you. WebThe Blue Badge scheme provides a national range of parking concessions to help people who are severely sight impaired, or permanently physically impaired, travel The applicant may still be considered eligible if they demonstrate very considerable difficulty in walking through any other factors. You can follow the link provided here to tailor your experience, or accept all and continue on this page. Local authorities should also keep a record of the procedures used and the outcome of applications. 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. Welsh Government recommends that the authority has a clear policy on how they will review Blue Badge decisions should a decision be challenged by an applicant. Indeed, the badge holder may not know the third party is using the badge. Badge holders should be made aware that by continuing to use the badge in these circumstances they will be committing a criminal offence and be liable for a fine up to 1000. An applicant may have undergone a related functional assessment with a different council department or health provider and this should be checked when disclosed during an assessment. Visit 'Set cookie preferences' to control specific cookies. If this is to be successful, they must be able to demonstrate that the information supplied can be acted on and responded to. For example civil enforcement officers may use hand held Personal Digital Assistance type devices, or use the Global System for Mobile Communication network to check the national database for key information about the status of individual badges. Of applications 'Use essential cookies only. with a replacement badge with the new local authority to decide own... To prosecute a person range of tools and techniques to deal with types... 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