New Blue Badge eligibility criteria come into effect

People with hidden disabilities, including anxiety disorders or brain injuries, are now able to apply for a Blue Badge. In response, the Department for Transport (DfT) has issued new guidance to councils in England on the issuing of Blue Badge parking permit eligibility on 30 August. The DfT also launched a new online eligibility checker designed to make applying easier for people before they apply. The eligibility criteria for the badges now include people who cannot walk as part of a journey without considerable psychological distress or the risk of serious harm. 

The DfT has indicated that councils may need to review parking provision to increase the number of spaces, both in terms of the availability of disabled parking, and the overall number of parking spaces if disabled spaces take up other existing parking spaces.