Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential difficulties experienced during the application process for a blue badge parking permit when entitlement is linked to an award of disability living allowance, war pensioner's mobility supplement or personal independence payment.

As part of a continuous programme of improvement, the Department for Transport aims to identify ways to make it easier for all applicants to apply/re-apply for a badge. This includes those who automatically qualify for a badge if they are in receipt of the Higher Rate Mobility Component of Disability Living Allowance, an award of Personal Independence Payment under specific mobility criteria or a War Pensioner's Mobility Supplement.

The Blue Badge fee allows local authorities to recover some of the costs involved in administering the Blue Badge scheme. However, it is for each local authority to decide whether to charge for a Blue Badge and whether to charge the full £10 fee or not. Previous assessments indicate that, on average, by not having to pay on-road parking charges badge holders make savings worth hundreds of pounds per year.