Apply for a Blue Badge

Delays with Personal Independence Payment (PIP)

We're aware that there's a backlog of PIP claims being assessed by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). We understand the worry this can cause if you're trying to apply for your Blue Badge renewal.

If there's a delay with your DWP award, you can apply for your renewal under the walking (mobility) category or the hidden disability (invisible disability) category. You'll need to provide the necessary medical information to support this. This will be quicker than waiting for a PIP award.

We'll assess your application and then contact you. You can still contact us during this process if you have heard from the DWP.

Who can get a Blue Badge

You may be eligible for a Blue Badge if you have any enduring (lasting for at least 3 years) and substantial disability that means you:

• drive a vehicle regularly, have a severe disability in both arms and are unable to operate, or have considerable difficulty in operating, all or some types of parking meters
• have been certified by an expert assessor as having an enduring and substantial disability which causes you, during a journey, to be unable to walk, or experience very considerable difficulty whilst walking, which may include very considerable psychological distress
• may be at risk of serious harm when walking
• pose, when walking, a risk of serious harm to any other person

Apply for a Blue Badge

Please apply online whenever possible and contact us online in the first instance. This will help us keep within our timescales and ensure the best customer service. We appreciate your patience.

Applications can take up to 12 weeks to process once all required documents have been received. Your application may be delayed if you do not submit the correct documents. The information we request must be received before we can start to assess your application.

If you have applied less than 12 weeks ago, please do not contact us to chase your application. Our team will contact you if we require any information.

If an officer approves your application, the Blue Badge will be ordered as quickly as possible.

Blue Badges are not made at Hove Town Hall.  They are ordered and dispatched through the post directly to your home address.

To find out what you need to include, read the information below:

• apply for a Blue Badge online on GOV.UK - you will still need to send us documents to prove that you are eligible
• download a Blue Badge application form to apply for a Blue Badge by post

To apply, you will need to provide:

• proof of your disability
• proof of your identity
• proof of your address
• a photograph of you - please email this where possible

If you're sending documents by post, please only send photocopies. Brighton & Hove City Council cannot be held responsible for documents that are lost in the post.

We'll usually email you or write to you by post if we need more information.

You may need to have an eligibility assessment as part of the application process. We'll arrange an appointment for you by phone as quickly as possible. You will be booked for a walking assessment at Hove Town Hall, which normally lasts up to 30 minutes.

If you're visiting from abroad with a valid Blue Badge

You can use your foreign Blue Badge in Brighton & Hove, but you need to tell us before you visit.

To notify us that you'll be visiting, phone us.

You will need to provide:

• your vehicle registration
• your Blue Badge number
• your contact details
• the dates of your visit

Your Blue Badge must be valid and in date before your visit.

Contact us