The Cheshire East Blue Badge Scheme
The Blue Badge Scheme is a national arrangement of parking
concessions for people with severe walking difficulties who travel
either as drivers or passengers. The scheme also applies to people
who are registered blind or severely sight impaired, and people
with very severe disabilities in both arms who regularly drive a
vehicle but cannot operate or have considerable difficulty in
operating all or some types of parking meter. It allows badge
holders to park close to their destination, but the national
concessions apply only to on-street parking.
Where are the Blue Badge Parking Bays?
For information about blue badge parking bays in Cheshire East
check out the Car Parks Town by Town
section.
Do I qualify for a Blue Badge?
If any of the following apply to you then you will qualify for
the Blue Badge Scheme:
Automatic eligibility without further assessment includes:
- People who receive the higher rate of the mobility component of
Disability Living Allowance
- People who are registered blind or severely sight impaired
- People who receive War Pensioners' Mobility Supplement
- People who been awarded a benefit under the Armed
Forces Compensation Scheme and have been assessed and
certified by the Service Personnel and Veterans Agency as having a
permanent and substantial disability which causes inability to walk
or very considerable difficulty in walking
- People with a severe disability in both arms who regularly
drive a vehicle but cannot operate or have considerable difficulty
in operating all or some types of parking meter.
Assessed eligibility with further assessment:
You may qualify for the Blue Badge scheme under the assessed
eligibility category if you have permanent and substantial
disability which means you are unable to walk or have very
considerable difficulty in walking. In these cases, you need to
make an application over the phone on 0300 123 5020 (local
rate).
Children under three years of age qualify for a badge if they
have a condition that requires they must always be accompanied by
bulky medical equipment and/or that have a highly unstable medical
condition and need quick access to transport to hospital or home.
Organisations caring for disabled people meeting one or more of the
above criteria may be able to get a badge.
People with a psychological disorder will not normally qualify
unless their impairment causes very considerable, and not
intermittent, difficulty in walking.
Proof of Identity and Address
If your application for a Blue Badge is successful you will need
to provide certified photocopies of your
proof of identity, proof of address, entitlement to benefits and a
photograph.
How to Apply for a Blue Badge
We are now operating an online Blue Car Badge
application form for new and renewal applications, or you can
make a telephone application by calling 0300 123 5020 to apply. If
the badge applicant is over 16 years old please ensure that you
have the National Insurance number available as this is required to
make an application.
Lost or Stolen Badges
If you need a replacement badge because your
badge has been lost or stolen you must report the loss or
theft to the Police (Cheshire Police: 0845 458 0000) and they will
provide you with either a crime or loss reference number. You
then need to write to us telling us what happened and include the
relevant Police reference number, 1 passport sized photograph, a
payment for £10 via using a card payment over the phone on
0300 123 5020 and finally don’t forget to sign the letter.
Then send it to:
Cheshire East Council
PO Box 624
Town Hall
Macclesfield
SK10 9JS
Frequently Asked Questions
What concessions are available for motorists displaying the
badge?
Parking concessions apply only to on-street parking and include
free use of parking meters and pay-and-display bays. The scheme
does not automatically apply to off-street car parks or on private
roads. Badge holders may also be exempt from limits on parking
times and may be able to park for up to three hours on single and
double yellow lines as long as they are not causing an obstruction.
More comprehensive details on usage of the badge in England are
available in the Department for Transport booklet
The Blue Badge scheme booklet: rights and responsibilities in
England (PDF, 1.27MB) .
Do I automatically qualify for a badge?
You are automatically eligible, upon application, for a badge if
you meet one of the following criteria:
- you receive the higher rate of the mobility component of
Disability Living Allowance
- you are registered blind or severely sight impaired
- you receive War Pensioners' Mobility Supplement
- you been awarded a benefit under the Armed Forces
Compensation Scheme and have been assessed and certified by
the Service Personnel and Veterans Agency as having a permanent and
substantial disability which causes inability to walk or very
considerable difficulty in walking,
- you have severe disability in both arms, who regularly drives a
vehicle but cannot operate or have considerable difficulty in
operating all or some types of parking meter.
If I have a disability but don't meet one automatic eligibility
criteria, will I qualify?
If you have a permanent and substantial disability that prevents
you from walking, or makes walking very difficult, you may be
eligible for a badge upon completion of an telephone application
and the completion of an assessment by the Independant Mobility
Team.
Children under three years of age qualify for a badge if they
have a condition that requires they must always be accompanied by
bulky medical equipment and/or that have a highly unstable medical
condition that necessitates quick access to transport to hospital
or home.
In these cases, you need to make a telephone application. See
Applying for a Blue Car Badge.
Organisations, such as care homes, caring for disabled people
meeting one or more of the above criteria may be able to get a
badge, to receive an application form for an organisational blue
badge, contact the Blue Badge team on 0300 123 5020.
People with a psychological disorder will not normally qualify
unless their impairment causes very considerable, and not
intermittent, difficulty in walking.
How do I apply for an organisational badge?
Organisations, such as care homes, caring for disabled people
meeting one or more of the above criteria may be able to get a
badge, to make application for an organisational blue badge,
contact the Blue Badge team on 0300 123 5020.
Where do I go to apply for or renew a disabled car
badge?
We are now operating a Blue Car Badge
online application form or you can make a telephone application
by calling 0300 123 5020 to apply. If the badge applicant is over
16 years old please ensure that you have the National Insurance
number available as this is required to make an application.
Proof of Identity and Address
Proof of identity will be in the form of a
photocopy of your birth/adoption certificate, marriage/divorce
certificate, valid driving licence or passport. A photocopy of one
form of identity is required to be submitted with your photo.
Proof of address will be in the form of a
photocopy of your Council Tax bill bearing your name and address.
Alternatively a photocopy of a utility bill dated within the last 3
months can be submitted. Please note photocopies will not be
returned.
How many photos do you need?
One passport-sized photo needs to be supplied. It must
be recent (within 5 years) and of passport quality.
How much do I need to pay and how can I pay?
You can pay the fee of £10 using a card
payment over the phone on 0300 123 5020.
Can someone make the application on the telephone on my
behalf?
If the applicant is under 18 the person calling on their behalf
should be the parent or guardian. If an adult can not make the
application the person calling should have the authority to act on
the applicants behalf, we will take both the details of the
applicant and the caller. It is possible to apply on someone else's
behalf using the Blue Car Badge online application form.
Can I have a duplicate badge to keep in my partner’s car?
No, only one badge per person is ever issued.
Can I use my Blue Badge in Europe?
Blue disabled parking badges are recognised in most European
countries, including all member states of the European Union. When
displayed on the dashboard, you are entitled to the same parking
concessions as that country’s own citizens with disabilities – the
AA
produce a booklet
called
Using the Blue Badge in 29 countries that details these
concessions and participating countries.
Changes to the Blue Badge Scheme from 1st January
2012
A new Blue Badge is being launched from 1st January
2012 in England and Scotland and later in Wales. It is part of the
UK Government’s Blue Badge Reform Programme. The new badge
will make it easier to crack down on fraud. It will make it easier
for the severely disabled people who rely on the Blue Badge scheme
to find a parking space. Badges have been redesigned to make
them harder to alter, copy or forge.
The following changes will be made to the Blue Badge scheme:
- From 1st January 2012, the maximum fee a local
council can charge for a Blue Badge will increase from £2 to £10 to
cover the costs of administration, production and postage. This is
the first time the fee has been increased since 1983.
- Applying for or renewing a badge from 1st January
2012 might mean completing a different application form to one you
may have completed before. This may also involve providing
different information so that we can process your application more
effectively
- From 1st April 2012 Independent Mobility Assessments
(IMA) will be introduced to help determine eligibility to people
applying under the ‘with further assessment’ criteria. This
is to ensure that those most in need receive a badge and that they
are assessed by a person who is trained in assessing mobility
needs. Independent assessors are being used to help avoid
compromising the
GP
/patient relationship
You'll still be able to apply directly to Cheshire East Council
for a Blue Badge and you may be asked to undergo an Independent
mobility assessment. A Cheshire East Blue Badge will
cost £10 and will be valid for three years, it gives free parking
in all Cheshire East car parks and on single or double yellow
lines for up to three hours (except where there is a ban on loading
or unloading). The scheme operates throughout the UK but
parking charges may vary dependent on the Local Authority.
Where can I find additional information on the scheme?
More general information is available from GOV.UK –
the government’s website.
Vehicle Tax Exemption
Please see GOV.UK to
determine your eligibility for vehicle Tax exemption.
Further Help
The Blue Badge Scheme is governed by the Department
for Transport - Blue Badge Scheme within the UK and you
can visit their website for further information. Within Cheshire
East, Blue Badges are issued by the Customer Services
Team.
You can contact the Blue Badge Team on 0300 123 5020.
