A new Blue Badge is being launched from 1 January 2012 in England and Scotland and later in Wales. It is part of the UKGovernment’s reform programme. The new badge will make it easier to crack down on fraud and make it easier for the severely disabled people who rely on the Blue Badge scheme to find a parking space. The changes will improve customer service and speed up the time it takes to renew Blue Badges.
The following changes take effect from the 1 January 2012 in England and Scotland:
-
Badges have been redesigned to make them harder to alter, copy or forge. The new badges will be made of a combination of PVC and PET instead of cardboard and will be more robust
-
Badges will cost £10, to cover the costs of administration, production and postage. This is the first time the fee has been increased since 1983
-
From 1 January 2012:
-
There will be a new national helpline for general enquiries for Blue Badges that will signpost callers to the relevant local authority
-
You will be able to apply for and renew a badge online via Directgov at www.direct.gov.uk/bluebadge
-
There will also be an eligibility checker for those who want to find out if they are eligible for a badge
-
Those who use the on-line application form can sign up for text and email reminders at renewal time
-
You can also apply to the Borough of Poole Customer Services for a Blue Badge Telephone 633605 however you are strongly encouraged to apply directly through Directgov as this will speed up your application
-
From 1 April 2012, badge holders will be able to report lost and stolen badges and update changes to their details online
-
Borough of Poole will still be responsible for deciding if applicants meet the eligibility criteria for a Blue Badge.
-
Applying for or renewing a badge will mean completing a different application form to one you may have completed before. This will involve providing in depth information so that we can process your application effectively and take an informed decision about whether or not you need to have a mobility assessment
-
From 1st January Independent mobility assessments for applicants where eligibility is unclear will help ensure that badges are issued fairly and consistently across the country
-
Borough of Poole will use Occupational Therapists to undertake mobility assessments
-
Mobility assessments will only be undertaken in cases where we are unable to determine eligibility for a Blue Badge
-
In the vast majority of cases we will be able to determine eligibility on the information provided to us on the application form
