Thousands of people apply for a Blue Badge every year, but many are unsuccessful because they do not meet the eligibility criteria. As reported by the Daily Record, the UK government recently confirmed that 90 per cent of applications are now submitted through the online service, lodged via GOV.UK for those in England and Wales or MYGOV.SCOT for applicants in Scotland. Each application is then reviewed by the claimant’s local council, which either processes and approves it or requests a further mobility needs assessment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A medical diagnosis alone is not sufficient grounds for approval<\/strong>. Councils instead examine how a condition affects a person’s ability to walk, weighing factors such as distance, speed, pain and safety, and applicants who can walk beyond certain limits may not qualify.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Benefit status also plays a significant role. Some people are automatically eligible if they receive specific disability benefits<\/strong>, but those who do not must apply under discretionary rules, which carry stricter requirements and demand more supporting evidence. Weak medical evidence is another frequent stumbling block, with applications often failing due to missing GP letters, vague medical reports, or insufficient detail about how a condition affects daily life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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