Blue Badges

You'll need to provide:

• Proof of identity (passport, driving licence, birth certificate)
• Proof of residency in Harrow (recent utility bill, council tax bill, or GP registration, NHS letter)
• If you pay council tax in Harrow, this will be used as evidence if the property is your main residence (not a second home)

Your disability or medical condition must be permanent or have lasted (or be expected to last) at least 12 months.

While GPs can provide medical summaries, Harrow Council uses independent health professionals for assessments. GP endorsement alone is not sufficient for non-automatic applications.

You automatically qualify if you receive:

• Higher Rate Mobility Component of Disability Living Allowance (HRMCDLA)
• Personal Independence Payment (PIP) with 8+ points for 'moving around' OR 10 points specifically for Descriptor E under 'planning and following journeys' (overwhelming psychological distress)
• War Pensioner's Mobility Supplement (WPMS)
• You are registered as severely sight impaired (blind)
• Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (tariffs 1-8) with certified permanent walking disability

Evidence needed: Current proof of benefit receipt, including annual uprating letters.

You must provide evidence for all three criteria:

1. That you regularly drive: Insurance documents or driving licence with adaptation codes (40 for adapted steering, 79 for restricted vehicles)
2. Severe disability in both arms: Medical report confirming your condition
3. Difficulty operating parking meters: Evidence of home adaptations related to your upper limb disability

Provide medical evidence showing:

• Your medical condition and diagnosis
• How far you can walk before experiencing severe pain or breathlessness
• Your walking speed and whether you need frequent rests
• Any mobility aids you use
• Medication and treatment you receive
• How your condition affects daily activities

Helpful evidence includes:

• Consultant letters
• Hospital discharge summaries
• Physiotherapy or occupational therapy reports
• Care plans

Medication lists
We understand that gathering written evidence can sometimes be challenging. If your submitted evidence is unclear or incomplete, we may invite you to a face-to-face mobility assessment where a healthcare professional can evaluate your walking ability directly.

You must provide evidence from healthcare professionals that explains:

• Your diagnosed condition
• How it affects your ability to make journeys
• Why you experience very considerable psychological distress OR are at risk of serious harm when walking

Note: Evidence that only confirms a diagnosis or states support for your application without detail is NOT sufficient.

Strong evidence includes:

• Letter of diagnosis from a consultant or psychiatrist
• Confirmation of ongoing treatment or clinic attendance
• Evidence of prescribed medication
• Specialist consultation records
• Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP)
• PIP decision letters
• Social care assessments or care plans
• Patient summaries showing your care history

You should demonstrate:

• The problem happens more often than not
• You are in more danger than others of similar age
• Reasonable coping strategies don't reduce the risk sufficiently
• There is real benefit to parking near your destination

Your child may qualify if they:

A) Must always be accompanied by bulky medical equipment such as:

• Ventilators
• Suction machines
• Feeding pumps
• Oxygen equipment
• Casts/braces for hip dysplasia

B) Must stay near a vehicle for urgent treatment due to:

• Tracheostomy
• Severe epilepsy
• Highly unstable diabetes
• Terminal illness

Evidence needed: A letter from your child's paediatrician detailing the condition and required equipment. A face-to-face assessment is not normally required.

If your evidence is insufficient, you will be contacted to request additional information. You have 56 days to provide the required evidence.

Most applications are decided through desktop assessment. You may be invited for a face-to-face mobility assessment if:

• Evidence is unclear
• Further assessment is needed

You have the right to appeal within 4 weeks of the refusal date. You must provide additional evidence beyond what was originally submitted.

If refused after appeal, you cannot reapply for 9 months unless your mobility has significantly deteriorated, with medical evidence to prove it (e.g., hospital discharge summary, consultant letter confirming diagnosis and effect on mobility).