Changes to the Blue Badge Car Scheme

From 1 January 2012, all Blue Car Badges will be printed and supplied by one company nationally. This will make them harder to forge or alter.

From 1 April 2012, if you do not automatically qualify for a badge and your GP will no longer be responsible for deciding whether you should qualify for a badge.

Instead, local authorities will run ‘mobility clinics'. In East Sussex there will have mobility clinics across the county. The clinics will be held in, for example, day centres, libraries and council buildings, where therapy staff will assess applicants for a badge. Between December 2011 and April 2012 there will be a transitional period while these clinics are set up and begin replacing GP assessments. Some therapy assessments are already being carried out by the Local Authority.

A mobility assessment will take around 45 minutes. It will include observation of your mobility, and questions on your disability, to decide if you qualify according to the rules set by the Department for Transport. In special circumstances, you may be able to have a home visit for the assessment. This would need to be approved by the Practice Manager.