New Rules for Blue Badges - from August 2019
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New rules that will make it easier for many disabled children and adults to qualify for a [Blue Badge] will start to apply from Friday 30 August 2019.
The new rules are designed to extend the Blue Badge to people with so called invisible disabilities like autism or learning disabilities.
The current rules, such as allowing a Blue Badge to be awarded to someone on the higher rate of the DLA mobility component, will remain. Entitlement is now being extended to new groups.
Some young disabled people will start to qualify automatically if they get [Personal Independence Payment] and scored 10 points specifically for Descriptor E under the "planning and following journeys" activity, on the grounds that they are unable to undertake any journey because it would cause them overwhelming psychological distress.
Disabled children and young people will also be able to qualify if their local authority assesses that they:-
• Are unable to walk; or
• Experience very considerable difficulty whilst walking, which may include very considerable psychological distress; or
• Be at risk of serious harm when walking; or pose, when walking, a risk of serious harm to any other person.
The new rules also allow local authorities to use a broader range of professionals to assess the nature and effects of an applicant's particular disability on their ability to get around.
For further information on the changes, take a look at the [Government website].
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