Eligibility and how to apply for a Blue Badge

The Blue Badge scheme helps people with disabilities access essential community facilities.

While the scheme operates throughout the UK, there are small variations in its application in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The information on this page relates to England unless specified.

Who is eligible for a Blue Badge?

You are automatically eligible to apply for a badge if you are over three years old and you are:

In receipt of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) with a score of 8 or above for the 'Moving Around' section
In receipt of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) with a score of exactly 10 points for the 'Planning and Following a Journey' section
In receipt of the higher rate of the mobility component of Disability Living Allowance
Registered blind
In receipt of a War Pensioner's Mobility Supplement
You have been awarded a lump sum benefit from the Armed Forces Compensation scheme (tariffs 1 to 8) and have been assessed by the Services Personnel and Veterans Agency as having a permanent and substantial disability which causes and inability to walk, or very considerable difficulty in walking.

If any of the above applies to you and you have the evidence to demonstrate this (for example, a letter from the Department of Work & Pensions which confirms that you are receiving one of the qualifying benefits and the length of time you have been awarded the benefit), we will automatically issue you with a badge.

Please note: - While a Blue Badge can be issued up to a maximum of 3 years, if you have automatically qualified through PIP/DLA/War Pensions Mobility Supplement, we can only issue a Blue Badge up to the end date given by the DWP - this may be less than 3 years.

You may also be eligible for a badge if you are over two years old and either:

Have a permanent and substantial disability which means you cannot walk, or which makes walking very difficult
Regularly drives an adapted or non-adapted motor vehicle, have a severe disability in both arms, and are unable to operate all or some types of parking meter (or would find it very difficult to operate them).

From 30 August 19 people with hidden disabilities such as autism and mental health may also be eligible to apply.

If you are a parent of a child who is less than three years old, you may apply for a badge for your child if they have a specific medical condition which means that they either:

Must always be accompanied by bulky medical equipment which cannot be carried around without great difficulty
Need to be kept near a vehicle at all times, so that they can, if necessary, be treated in the vehicle, or quickly driven to a place where they can be treated, such as a hospital.

For further information, please refer to Sunderlands Blue Badge Policy .

How to apply

To apply under hidden disabilities criteria, please click on the following link https://www.gov.uk/apply-blue-badge.

If you are in receipt of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) (with a score of 8 or more for the moving around section) or Disability Living Allowance (DLA) (at the highest rate for mobility) click on the following link to apply for or renew a Blue Badge https://www.gov.uk/apply-blue-badge

If you do not meet the above criteria, it is not yet possible to complete an application online however you can start your application (opens new window) and an advocate will call you back to follow up your enquiry.

To apply by telephone please contact our Health and wellbeing team. Please have your National Insurance number to hand.

If you have additional needs which means you are unable to complete this process via the methods stated above please get in touch via telephone or email BCB.Team@sunderland.gov.uk

A payment of £10 will be required if your application is successful. The £10 payment is the standard fee for contributing to the cost of the production of the badge only; It is chargeable each time a badge is generated. It does not relate to the length of time the badge is issued for.