swansea council blue badge
a person recovering from complex leg fractures sometimes managed with external fixators for periods well over a year; a person recovering from stroke or head injury that has impacted on their mobility; a person recovering from spinal trauma which impacts their mobility. Councils can charge up to 20 for a Blue Badge. These individuals will have been issued with a male or female badge according to whichever gender they are living under. If an applicant does not meet the required score for either Mobility Activity 1 (12 points) or Activity 2 (8 to 12 points), they fail to meet the automatic criteria. See regulation 4(2) of the Disabled Persons (Badges for Motor Vehicles) (Wales) Regulations 2000 (S.I. Enforcement officers should be able to identify lost, stolen or fraudulent badges when carrying out their daily windscreen checks. The Blue Badge (Disabled Persons Parking) scheme was introduced in 1971 under section 21 of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970. They make take longer than usual to send you a reply. The applicants posture, rhythm, coordination, balance and stride should be considered in terms of the degree of effect they have on their ability to walk. These conditions, such as multiple sclerosis may improve temporarily but the prognosis for the condition is permanent and degenerative. Verifying identity, proof of residence and checking that the applicant meets the eligibility criteria is essential to protect against fraudulent applications and abuse of the scheme. It is recommended that local authorities include declarations at the end of the application form for the applicant to review and sign. The applicantmaybedeemedeligible ifthey canwalk50-80 metres (approximately 55 to 87.5 yards) without pain or breathlessness, but demonstrate very considerable difficulty in walking through a combination of other factors(e.g. 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. Part of: Parking, Blue Badges and road offences. It is important to promote this work and Communications colleagues should be involved at the earliest opportunity to ensure the council capitalises on this work. 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. It is recommended that local authorities have clear desk instructions on how to administer the scheme, including policy on circumstances when local authorities will charge for a Blue Badge in the case of a replacement or organisational badge, as well as procedures for reviewing decisions. The 2000 regulations now make it explicit that a valid badge retained because it is being misused must be returned as soon as reasonably practicable to the holder (provided that the authority does not have pre-existing grounds, under the regulations, for withdrawing the badge). Local authorities should note that Welsh Government does not have the power tointervene in individual applications which have not been successful and that they should not advise applicants to appeal to the Welsh Government, unless in the very specific circumstances set out in Regulation 10 of the 2000 Regulations. Local authorities should make it clear when issuing a badge that it should be returned to the issuing authority if the recipient no longer needs it (Footnote 13). Find out if you qualify for a Blue Badge. WebYou'll need some information to apply or re-apply for a Blue Badge. Your cookie preferences have been saved. Non-essential cookies are also used to tailor and improve services. Local councils expect to take longer to reissue Blue Badges. It is recommended that the applicants name be written clearly on the back of each photograph and that the applicant, or the person applying on their behalf, confirms in the declaration section of the application form that the photograph is a true likeness. WebBlue badge holders are being reminded to check their badge is still valid and to get it renewed if it's within a month of expiring. You can still apply for a Blue Badge but coronavirus is affecting council services. 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. Having a common system for processing Blue Badge information and securely printing and distributing badges prevents many types of fraud and abuse. 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). You do not have severe cognitive impairment. If possible no other person should be visible in the photograph. When you apply you will need to provide an original award letter from the Department of Work and Pensions which shows your entitlement for this benefit. There are currently no formal reciprocal arrangements in place for disabled parking badges issued outside the UK. We use cookies on this site to enhance the user experience. In the absence of any other proof, it is recommended that local authorities accept a utility bill. Appropriate declarations need to be incorporated into the Blue Badge application form in order to enable applicants to give their permission to the local authority to access existing records. Local authorities should ask for a copy of the original letter if the HRMCDLA has been awarded within a period of 12 months prior to the date of the application for a Blue Badge. Local authorities may refuse to issue a badge where the applicant holds or has held a badge, misused it and received a relevant conviction (Footnote 10). You appear to be using an unsupported browser, and it may not be able to display this site properly. Some Blue Badge applicants may be unhappy about the way the process has been conducted. 7. The declaration needs to say that they are an organisation concerned with the care of eligible people and that they will be using the vehicle solely for the purpose of transporting those people. Local authorities can arrange to share the information held by BBDS which will reduce requests for ad hoc information. See regulation 6(4)(b) of the 2000 regulations. Local authorities can be flexible in how they use these powers, to address their own local circumstances and the specifics of each case. The following is not an exhaustive list, but illustrates the most common ways in which badges can be abused or misused, from the minor to more serious transgressions: Local authorities should consider ways of preventing abuse and misuse of the scheme from the outset. WebA blue badge enables people with a seriously impaired ability to walk, or those registered severely visually impaired, either as a passenger or driver, to park close to their destination. See regulation 6(4)9(c) of the 2000 regulations. Each applicant for an individual badge will be asked to supply a passport-size photograph to be scanned into the BBDS. Click 'Accept all cookies' to agree to all cookies that collect anonymous data. The scheme is open to eligible people who may be travelling as a driver or a passenger. The online service caters for people applying on someone's behalf, and there is also a 'save and return' feature, allowing people to wait for someone to help them complete their application. Damaged badges should also be returned to the local authority to be officially destroyed (Footnote 17). If a person collects a badge in person from the local authority this can be an opportunity to highlight to the badge holder key facts pertinent to the use of the badge. Surveillance can identify cases of suspected systematic abuse and build up evidence that can later be used to prosecute a person. Welsh Government has no power to intervene in decisions made in individual cases. If an enforcement officer encounters any form of resistance we would advise that they take no further action without police support. 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. Applicants must be made aware that in order to be issued with a badge they will need to provide evidence in support of their application. In these circumstances, where a local authority receives an application and refuses to issue a badge they are required to issue a notice stating the grounds for refusal to the applicant (Footnote 11). A person can be prosecuted under this section and receive a fine of up to 1,000 where: A person can be prosecuted under this section and receive up to a 5,000 fine and up to two years in prison if they: A Blue Badge holder can be prosecuted under this section and receive a fine of up to 1,000 if they contravene any parking provision of a road traffic order and also: The Police can seize a badge under section 19 if the officer believes that it has been obtained in consequence of a commission of an offence (e.g. it has been stolen or forged or is being used by someone who is not the true holder). At the point of application, each local authority must request further relevant evidence, should evidence provided by the applicant be insufficient. When a badge holder dies, their badge should be returned to the local authority (Footnote 14). As a guide the average person can walk in a minute: If an applicant cannot walk 40 metres (44 yards) in a minute (a pace of less than 0.67 metres/second), including any stops to rest, then this is an extremely slow pace which is likely to make walking very difficult when considered in isolation. 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. Please note: For applicants in receipt of PIP, a local authority should not base a decision to award a badge under the PIP criteria on a combined score of the mobility descriptors i.e. BBDS has a system of reminder letters to badge holders when a Blue Badge is approaching its expiry date. Open all Who automatically gets a Blue Badge Who else could get a Blue Badge Visit GOV.UK to check your eligibility and apply for a Blue Badge. 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