Blue badge
A blue badge can we awarded to a child with additional needs. This means the person caring for the disabled child at the time of driving (usually the parent) can park for free in parking meter areas, and on single yellow lines. This means people can park nearer their destination, save money and not worry about parking tickets during hospital visits and other meetings. The scheme only applies to on-street parking e.g. it may not be valid in airport, supermarket and other private car parks.
For more information see:
- www.mygov.scot
- The leaflet Can I Get A Blue Badge has lots of information and handy numbers for local authorities which administer the Blue Badge scheme
There are three ways in which a parent of a child with disabilities might qualify for a blue badge:
- Blue badge – for those in receipt of high rate mobility DLA
If a child qualifies for high rate mobility (DLA) then they will automatically qualify for a blue badge.
- Blue badge – children with medical conditions
A parent of a child who is less than two years old may apply for a badge for the 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
- Blue badge – for those not in receipt high mobility component DLA
Parents of children not in receipt of high rate mobility (DLA) may still be eligible for a blue badge by direct application to their local authority. A medical examination is usually required. A form can be down loaded from the local authority website – you can call your local authority to find out more and to ask them where to find the form.
The information available on blue badges can be misleading and, if in doubt, it is worth seeking the support of an information service such as Kindred.