The Blue Badge scheme is a national arrangement that provides parking concessions for people with severe mobility problems, allowing them to park closer to their destination. The scheme is run by your local authority (e.g., Bromley Council).
The application process is managed through the GOV.UK website, which is the quickest and easiest way to apply or renew.
Blue Badge Eligibility Summary
To qualify for a Blue Badge, you must meet specific national criteria set by the Department for Transport. These are split into two main categories: those who are automatically eligible and those who may be eligible following a further assessment (discretionary criteria).
1. Automatic Eligibility
You will automatically qualify for a Blue Badge if you are over two years old and meet one or more of the following criteria, which must be supported by recent, official evidence (such as an award letter):
- You receive the Higher Rate Mobility Component of the Disability Living Allowance (DLA).
- You receive Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and scored points in the ‘Moving Around’ activity of the mobility component.
- You receive PIP and scored points in the ‘Planning and Following Journeys’ activity, with descriptor E (meaning you cannot undertake any journey because it would cause overwhelming psychological distress).
- You are registered severely sight impaired (blind).
- You receive a War Pensioners’ Mobility Supplement (WPMS).
- You have received a lump sum benefit from the Armed Forces and Reserve Forces Compensation Scheme (tariffs 1-8) and have been certified as having a permanent and substantial disability which causes inability to walk or very considerable difficulty in walking.
2. Discretionary Eligibility (Subject to Further Assessment)
If you do not meet the automatic criteria, you may still be eligible under the discretionary criteria if you have an enduring and substantial disability that severely affects your mobility. This applies to people who:
- Have an enduring and substantial disability which means you cannot walk or have very considerable difficulty in walking during a journey.
- Experience very considerable psychological distress while walking, or are at risk of serious harm when walking, or pose a risk of serious harm to others when walking (this includes non-visible or hidden disabilities).
- Drive a motor 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 meter.
If you apply under the discretionary criteria, your local council will likely ask for further evidence and may require you to attend a mobility assessment conducted by an independent health professional, such as an Occupational Therapist.
Supporting Evidence and the Role of Your GP
We understand that in the past, many of our patients have asked us to provide a supporting letter from a GP for their Blue Badge application or renewal. However, our practice has updated this policy.
We no longer provide GP supporting letters for general Blue Badge applications or renewals.
We understand this may be a significant change and potentially frustrating for patients who are used to this service. This change has been made for the following professional and evidence-based reasons:
- Council Policy and Expertise: Many local councils, including neighbouring authorities, are increasingly rejecting or discounting general supporting letters from GPs. This is because, for discretionary applications, councils require an expert opinion that specifically assesses how a condition impacts a person’s mobility during a journey, not just a clinical diagnosis.
- Specialist Assessment Requirement: Councils typically employ their own Occupational Health Professionals (such as Occupational Therapists) who are experts in mobility and functional assessment. When you apply under the discretionary criteria, the council will use these experts to conduct an independent, practical assessment (often a face-to-face mobility assessment) to determine eligibility, making a general GP letter redundant.
- Focus on Functional Ability: The Blue Badge criteria are centred on the severity of your mobility problems, not simply the diagnosis of a medical condition. While a GP can confirm a diagnosis, it is the council’s assessors who are commissioned to formally assess the functional impact on walking and journey planning.
What we will do to help:
If the local council contacts us directly, with your written consent, we will of course cooperate fully and provide factual information from your medical records to assist with their assessment process. However, we cannot provide a bespoke supporting letter for your general application or renewal submission.
We recommend that you submit all other requested evidence and complete the application as thoroughly as possible. If the council then decides you require a further assessment, they will arrange this with their own specialist.
We understand that housing difficulties can be extremely stressful, and we want to support you appropriately.
However, the surgery does not provide housing support letters for Barnet Council or any other housing authority.
Why we do not provide housing letters
- Local councils do not require a GP letter to assess housing needs.
- Housing decisions are based on your living situation, not on a medical opinion from your GP.
- Councils have their own assessment teams who evaluate:
- Overcrowding
- Property condition
- Safety concerns
- Social and welfare needs
- GP letters rarely influence the outcome and can delay the correct assessment process.
- Writing bespoke letters is not part of NHS‑funded work and would take time away from essential medical care.
What we can provide
You may request:
- A free printout of your medical summary
- A list of your current medications
- Copies of relevant medical records
These documents can be shared with the council if you feel they are helpful.
How the council gets medical information
If Barnet Council (or another authority) needs medical evidence, they will:
- Ask you for consent
- Contact the GP directly
- Send their own official forms for us to complete
This ensures the council receives the correct type of information for their assessment.
Where to get help with housing applications
For support with housing issues, you may find help from:
- Barnet Homes / Barnet Council Housing Options
- Citizens Advice
- Local welfare rights or housing advocacy services
- Shelter (housing charity)
These organisations specialise in housing assessments and can guide you through the process.
Thank you for your understanding
Our aim is to ensure all patients receive fair, consistent care while following NHS and local authority guidance. If you need a medical summary or copies of your records, please speak to our reception team.
We understand that applying for PIP can be stressful, and we want to support you in the right way.
However, the surgery does not provide PIP support letters or complete PIP forms.
Why we do not provide PIP support letters
- The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) does not require a letter from your GP.
- The DWP contacts us directly if they need medical information, using their own forms.
- PIP decisions are based on how your condition affects your daily life, not on a GP letter.
- Writing bespoke letters is not part of NHS‑funded work and would take time away from essential patient care.
What we can provide
You can request:
- A free printout of your medical summary
- Copies of relevant medical records
- A list of your current medications
These documents can be included with your PIP application.
Where to get help with your PIP application
For support completing the form or understanding the criteria, you may find help from:
- Citizens Advice
- Local welfare rights services
- Disability support organisations
These services specialise in PIP applications and can guide you through the process.
Thank you for your understanding
Our aim is to ensure all patients receive fair, consistent care while following NHS and DWP guidance. If you need your medical summary or records, please speak to our reception team.
The Old Courthouse Surgery does NOT prescribe sedatives for fear of flying. This policy decision has been made by the GP Partners and is adhered to by all prescribers working in the practice.
The reasons for this can be found below:
1) Diazepam is a sedative, which means it makes you sleepy and more relaxed. If there is an emergency during the flight it may impair your ability to concentrate, follow instructions and react to the situation. This could have serious safety consequences for you and those around you.
2) Sedative drugs can make you fall asleep, however when you do sleep it is an unnatural non-REM sleep. This means you won’t move around as much as during natural sleep. This can cause you to be at increased risk of developing a blood clot (DVT) in the leg or even the lung. Blood clots are very dangerous and can even prove fatal. This risk is even greater if your flight is greater than four hours.
3) Whilst most people find benzodiazepines like diazepam sedating, a small number have paradoxical agitation and in aggression. They can also cause disinhibition and lead you to behave in a way that you would not normally. This could impact on your safety as well as that of other passengers and could also get you into trouble with the law.
4) According to the prescribing guidelines doctors follow (BNF) Benzodiazepines are contraindicated (not allowed) in phobia. Your doctor is taking a significant legal risk by prescribing against these guidelines. They are only licensed short term for a crisis in generalised anxiety. If this is the case, you should be getting proper care and support for your mental health and not going on a flight.
5) Diazepam and similar drugs are illegal in a number of countries. They may be confiscated or you may find yourself in trouble with the police.
6) Diazepam stays in your system for quite a while. If your job requires you to submit to random drug testing you may fail this having taken diazepam.
We appreciate that fear of flying is very real and very frightening. A much better approach is to tackle this properly with a Fear of Flying course run by the airlines and we have listed a number of these below.
Easy Jet www.fearlessflyer.easyjet.com Tel: 0203 8131644
British Airways www.flyingwithconfidence.com Tel: 01252 793250
Virgin www.flyingwithoutfear.co.uk Tel: 01423 714900