Parking permits - blue badges and the Lambeth Disabled Parking Permit (white badge)

The Blue Badge Scheme is a Europe-wide arrangement for parking concessions for people with severe walking difficulties, who travel either as drivers or passengers.

The scheme also applies to people who are registered blind and people with very severe upper limb disabilities who regularly drive a vehicle but cannot turn a steering wheel by hand.

It allows badge holders to park close to their destination, but the national concessions apply only to onstreet parking.

Who can get a blue badge?

You are automatically entitled to a blue badge if:

• you receive the higher rate of the mobility component of the disability living allowance
• you receive a war pensioners' mobility supplement
• you use a motor vehicle supplied for disabled people by a government health department
• you are registered blind
• you 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 that wheel is fitted with a turning knob

If the criteria set out above are not met but a badge is still required, a blue badge might still be issued under the issuing authority's discretionary criteria.

In these circumstances, the authority will write to your GP to obtain a medical diagnosis and if this does not prove to be conclusive, the authority may request that you attend a mobility assessment with an occupational therapist.

This applies when you have a permanent and substantial disability which means you are unable to walk or have very considerable difficulty in walking.

In this case you may be asked to answer a series of questions to help the local authority determine whether you are eligible for a badge.

The Lambeth disabled parking permit (white badge)

Lambeth aims to combat a rise in theft of disabled permits through the launch of its own disabled parking permit.

The Lambeth disabled parking permit or white badge allows holders to park in disabled bays overnight without having to display their blue badge.

The Lambeth permits are also vehicle-specific and therefore completely useless to any would-be thief.

Badges will run for one year from the date of issue and only one vehicle can be registered per badge holder.

Holders are however being reminded the Lambeth disabled parking permit cannot be used anywhere outside of the borough.

They are also valid in disabled bays only.

If holders park in resident, pay and display and business bays, a blue badge must be displayed. If parking on single and double yellow lines, both a blue badge and clock must be displayed.

Further information

For more information about the blue badge you should contact the Department for Transport.

Applying for a Blue Badge

You can download the blue badge parking scheme application form here.

Send your completed application form to:

Accessible Transport Unit
Hopton House
243A Streatham High Road
SW16 6EY
Email: accessibletransport@lambeth.gov.uk