If you are disabled, a blue badge allows you to park legally near to places you are visiting. The permit is for any eligible disabled person irrespective of whether you are travelling as a driver, or as a passenger.
*Important - please read*
We have seen a significant increase in applications in the last few years and currently receive more than 600 applications every month.
We urge people to make their applications early to avoid any issues.
Currently, it may take up to 42 days for us to deal with Blue Badge applications made under the automatic criteria, providing that all required evidence, photograph and fee are included. If the application is “subject to further assessment” then this may take considerably longer and up to 12 weeks in some cases, dependant on the level of assessment required.
Please do not contact us until after 42 days for automatic applications and 12 weeks for those subject to further assessment.
As the Council no longer sends out reminders for Blue Badge renewal we would recommend that all renewal applications are made at least 12 weeks prior to the expiry date of the badge.
Thank you for your patience.
You can apply for a Blue Badge if you are:
- In receipt of the higher rate of the mobility component of the Disability Living Allowance
- In receipt of 8 points or more for the 'Moving Around' element of the mobility component of Personal independence Payment (PIP)
- In receipt of a war pensioner's mobility supplement
- Registered blind (Partially Sighted is not an automatic qualification for a badge)
- Applicants who are in receipt of a lump sum benefit under the Armed Forces and Reserve Forces (compensation) Scheme and have been certified as having a permanent and substantial disability which causes inability or considerable difficulty walking.
You could qualify for a badge subject to further assessment, if you are over 2 years of age and either:
- Have a permanent and substantial disability which means you are unable to walk or you have very considerable difficulty in walking
- Drive a motor vehicle regularly, have a severe disability in both arms and are unable to operate or have considerable difficulty in operating parking metres
- You may be asked to provide further medical evidence to support your application.
Children under the age of 3 years
A parent of a child who is less than three years old may apply for a Blue Badge for their child if the child has a medical condition which means they:
- Always need to be kept near a motor vehicle on account of their condition so they can, if necessary be treated for that condition in the vehicle or taken in the vehicle to a place where they can be treated such as a hospital
- Have a condition requiring the transportation of bulky medical equipment at all times which cannot be carried around with the child without great difficulty
You may be asked to provide further medical evidence of your child's condition.
Applying online is the easiest and quickest way to get a Blue Badge. Simply fill out the online form via the DirectGov website.
You'll be asked for some personal details to help quickly deal with your application.
You’ll need a photo showing your head and shoulders, taken within the month prior to the application.
You’ll also need a photo or scan of your:
- proof of identity (such as a passport, driving license or birth certificate)
- proof of address (less than 12 months old)
- proof of benefits (if you get any) Personal Independence Payment (PIP) award dated within the last 12 months including the page which states how many points you receive for “moving around”/ High Rate Mobility of Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for “help with getting around” dated within the last 12 months.
You’ll also need to know:
- your National Insurance number (if you have one)
- the badge number and expiry date of your current Blue Badge (if you’re reapplying)
If you cannot apply online, you can obtain an application form by visiting a One Stop Shop, calling 0345 140 0845 or via one of our Sefton Libraries.
For your application you will need to pay a £10 fee (this is standard across all local authorities). If you apply for your badge online you can make payment by using the online payment system. Alternatively you can pay via cheque or postal order by sending it through the post to Blue Badge Team, PO Box 225, Bootle, L20 3WD, or by handing it in to one of the Sefton One Stop Shops, found at 324 Stanley Road, Bootle, L20 3ET or in the Atkinson, Lord Street, Southport, PR8 1DB.
If your application is refused, it is unlikely that you are currently eligible for a Blue Badge. If you feel that you have wrongly been refused a Blue Badge, you can request a review of the decision within 28 days of the date of receiving the refusal. The request must be made in writing (by letter or email) and include:
- If you feel that you did not provide enough information on the application form, explaining what information was missing.
- Why you believe the decision is wrong
- Medical confirmation of your disability / medical condition.
You will receive a response to your request within 28 days of receipt.
If your application is still refused after requesting a review of the decision, this decision will be final and no further application can be made within three months of the final decision.
Blue Badges may be issued to organisations involved in the care of disabled people who are seeking a Blue Badge for a vehicle/vehicles (such as minibus, or specially adapted commercial vehicle) which is/are to be used to carry disabled people who would themselves qualify for an individual Blue Badge.
An ‘organisation’ is defined in legislation as meaning an organisation concerned with the care of disabled persons to which a disabled person’s badge may be issued.
Organisational badges will therefore only be issued to an organisation which has a clear need rather than using the individual Blue Badges of people it is transporting. The organisation is required to provide proof of any vehicle adaptations and Disabled Passenger Vehicle (DPV) excise exemption.
For information on how Sefton Council use your personal information (including name, address, National Insurance number, medical information, benefits information) to deal with Blue Badge and other parking related matters, please view the Blue Badge privacy document.