Blue badge £1,000 fine warning - what you need to do

Blue Badges help people with disabilities or health conditions park closer to their destination.

They cost £10 in England, £20 in Scotland, and are free in Wales.

The badges usually last up to three years, at which point you need to reapply before your current one expires.

Failing to renew your Blue Badge in time could lead to you facing a £1,000 fine for misusing the badge (Image: Getty)

Failing to renew your Blue Badge in time could lead to you facing a £1,000 fine for misusing the badge, as well as any parking fines you may incur as a result.

In order to apply you will need a digital photo of your head and shoulders, as well as a photo or copy of a proof of identity, such as a passport, driving licence or birth certificate.

You will also need to prove you live at your address, with a council tax bill or other proof, as well as proof of why you qualify for the Blue Badge, such as proof of benefits.

Your National Insurance number and the details of your current Blue Badge will also be needed when reapplying for your badge.

Am I eligible for a Blue Badge?

You automatically qualify for a Blue Badge if you are aged 3 or over and at least one of the following applies:

• you receive the higher rate of the mobility component of the Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
• you receive a Personal Independence Payment (PIP) because you can’t walk more than 50 metres (a score of 8 points or more under the ‘moving around’ activity of the mobility component)
• you are registered blind (severely sight impaired)
• you receive a War Pensioners’ Mobility Supplement
• you have received a lump sum benefit within tariff levels 1 to 8 of the Armed Forces and Reserve Forces (Compensation) Scheme and have been certified as having a permanent and substantial disability that causes inability to walk or very considerable difficulty in walking
• you receive the mobility component of PIP and have obtained 10 points specifically for descriptor E under the ‘planning and following journeys’ activity

You may also be eligible for a badge if one or more of the following applies:

• you cannot walk at all
• you cannot walk without help from someone else or using mobility aids
• you find walking very difficult due to pain, breathlessness or the time it takes
• walking is dangerous to your health and safety
• you have a life limiting illness, which means you cannot walk or find walking very difficult and have a SR1 form
• you have a severe disability in both arms and drive regularly, but cannot operate pay-and-display parking machines
• you have a child under the age of 3 with a medical condition that means the child always needs to be accompanied by bulky medical equipment
• you have a child under the age of 3 with a medical condition that means the child must always be kept near a vehicle in case they need emergency medical treatment