Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council

Home | Residents | Business | Visitors

Business, Economy & European Funding | Environment | Health & Social Care | Housing | Jobs | Learning | Leisure & Culture | Living | Planning & Building Control | Regeneration | Transport & Streets | Your Council

| Report Blue Badge Misuse

Home Page > Health & Social Care > Social Services > Services for Disabled People > Blue Badges

Blue Badges

• What is the Blue Badge Scheme?
• Who qualifies for a Blue Badge?
• How do I apply?
• What happens when the badge expires / Reapplying for a Blue Badge?
• Lost / Stolen badges
• More information
• Misuse of the Blue Badge
• Organisational Applications

---

What is the Blue Badge Scheme?

The Blue Badge Scheme provides people with a PERMANENT and SUBSTANTIAL disability to travel independently as either a driver or passenger, by making it easier for them to park closer to their destination.

There is no charge for the Blue Badge for persons permanently resident in Wales, although replacements and organisational badges do incur a charge of £10.

---

Who can be considered for a Blue Badge?

Under the regulations that govern the Disabled Person`s Blue Badge Scheme, the eligibility criteria is divided into two categories these being:

1. Automatic
2. Discretionary 

 AUTOMATIC

If you are in receipt of one of the following you will automatically qualify :–

• High Rate Component of Disability Living Allowance.
• War Pensioners’ Mobility Supplement.
• Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS) - guaranteed payment under tariffs 1-8 and have been certified as having a permanent and substantial disability which causes an inability to walk or very considerable difficulty in walking.
• Registered blind.

If you do not meet any of the above Automatic criteria you may be considered as follows :-

DISCRETIONARY

• Have a permanent and substantial disability which means you cannot walk or have considerable difficulty in walking and you will be required to provide independent medical evidence to support your application. Please do not approach your GP to request any medical evidence prior to applying.
• Have a severe disability in both upper limbs, regularly drive a motor vehicle but cannot turn the steering wheel of a motor vehicle by hand even if it is fitted with a turning knob or unable to operate or have difficulty in operating parking meters or pay and display equipment because of severe impairments in both arms.
• Children under the age of three who, due to a specific medical condition, need to travel with bulky medical equipment or be close to a vehicle for emergency medical treatment.  

You will not qualify for a badge if:

1. You do not meet the criteria listed above
2. You have a temporary disability, such as a broken leg or awaiting corrective surgery for lower limb disorders e.g. major joint replacements.
3. You experience a psychological disorder that does not cause you severe discomfort with your walking on a permanent basis.
4. You only experience walking problems when carrying objects, such as shopping.
5. Your condition does not continuously severely limit your ability to walk for example some people have days when they are able to walk better than others.

---

How do I apply?

To apply you will need to visit in person at one of our One Stop Shops at Neath Civic Centre, Pontardawe or Port Talbot Civic Centre. 

If you qualify under the AUTOMATIC criteria you need to:

1. Provide proof of identity / address.
2. Provide your National Insurance Number
3. Provide supporting evidence – e.g. up to date confirmation of your Higher Rate Mobility Disability Living Allowance entitlement letter from the Department of Work and Pensions. A copy of this letter can be obtained by contacting the DLA Helpline 08457 123456.
4. Provide 1 recent photo of yourself although the One Stop Shops have the facility to take an approved photo for a fee of £4. If you are providing your own photograph it should be passport standard and quality, in colour and taken against a plain background.

 

Proof of Identity / Address

You will need to verify your identity at the application stage by providing one document from this list when you visit the office:

Proof of Identity:-

• Valid Passport (any nationality).
• UK Driving Licence (either photo card or paper licence).
• UK Birth/Adoption Certificate or Marriage/Divorce/Civil Partnership/Dissolution Certificate.
• National Insurance Card.

Proof of address:-

• Bank / Building Society statements.
• Gas / Electricity / Water / Phone bill.
• Council Tax bill.
• Benefits letter.

---

What happens when the badge expires?

You will receive a reminder letter near the time the badge is due to expire inviting you to attend in person to re-apply.

All Badges that have expired need to be returned to either Neath One Stop Shop, Port Talbot One Stop Shop or Pontardawe One Stop Shop.  

---

Lost / Stolen badges

• If your badge has been lost or stolen, you can visit one of our Council Offices, in person, to re-apply. Please note all replacement Blue Badge incur a fee of £10.00.
• Please refer to the Automatic/Discretionary criteria listed above for the information required to support your application.
• You will also be required to provide confirmation of the loss of the badge in writing.

---

More information

You should display your badge in the special wallet provided on the dashboard of your vehicle where it can be clearly read through the windscreen with the front of the badge facing upwards.

You should set the time of arrival on the clock and display the wallet containing the badge on the dashboard of the vehicle.

When no parking concessions are being used, badges/clocks/wallets should be removed from view.

---

Misuse of the Blue Badge

• If you have a badge, it must only be used by you for your benefit alone.
• If a trip/visit/errand is for someone else and you remain in the vehicle, the  badge cannot be used to enable them to benefit from the concessions.
• You should not let others use the badge on your behalf without yourself being present, for example if they do your shopping or collect prescriptions on your behalf.
• The council can confiscate and cancel a badge if the badge holder or another person misuses it. It is an offence for people other than the badge holder to take advantage of the parking concessions provided under the scheme. The maximum fine if someone is convicted is £1,000 plus any additional penalty for the related parking offence

If you think that a Blue Badge issued by this Council is being misused, you can report the matter to the Blue Badges service online. Try to get as many details as possible from the badge on display (serial number, expiry date etc) to enable the council to investigate and take action if the badge is shown to have been misused.

---

Organisational Applications

　Organisational Badges are issued to Organisations that have vehicles that carry disabled people who would themselves be eligible for a badge as follows :-

• Persons receiving the Higher Rate Mobility Component of Disability Living Allowance
• Persons receiving War Pensioners’ Mobility Supplement
• Persons entitled to special grant aided adapted vehicle
• Persons who are registered blind
• Persons who have a permanent and substantial disability and are unable to walk, or have considerable difficulty in walking

A badge will be issued to an organisation if they have vehicles licensed under Disabled Passenger Vehicle (DPV) taxation class.

The application must be made in person by the Manager/Deputy Manager of the Organisation at on of the following offices :- One Stop Shop at Neath Civic Centre, One Stop Shop, Pontardawe or Port Talbot Civic Centre, 

Where relatively few people meet the eligibility criteria for a badge in the organisation, it would be preferable for the disabled people themselves to apply for badges, rather than have one issued to an organisation. This then allows the holder to use their badge in any vehicle in which they are travelling.

In all circumstances, badges will be issued to the organisation or department and not to named individuals.

In order to process the application we will need the following:

• Copy of Tax exemption re DPV or letter of confirmation from DVLA (if applicable)
• £10 fee (cheques should be made payable to NPTCBC).

It is an offence to take advantage of the parking concessions provided under the scheme. The maximum fine if someone is convicted is £1,000 plus any additional penalty for the related parking offence.

---