Fix Blue Badges
We’re demanding a Blue Badge scheme that’s fair, consistent, and reflects the reality of living with Parkinson’s.
Local authorities in England are failing people with Parkinson’s. Councils are denying access to vital Blue Badges, and the renewal process is too difficult.
Take action today
We need council leaders to listen. We’ve created a tool so you can send a postcard about our campaign to the leader of your local council. Sending them a printed postcard will get their attention.
Our campaign postcard calls for:
- an end to application delays
- an end to unnecessary reassessments
- health professionals to be used to assess applications
- badges to be accepted across council boundaries.
Fill out our online form to let us know who your local leader is, and we’ll send a postcard directly for you.
Or if you'd like to personally sign your postcard, we can send copies to your local Parkinson's UK group. Email [email protected] or call 020 7963 9349.
Explore our resources
You can make a difference. Use our toolkit and help campaign to improve Blue Badge access in England. We’ve got the tools and information you need to demand change.
Blue Badges must be more accessible for people with Parkinson’s. Get involved in our campaign by sharing our social media materials.
Fixing the Blue Badge scheme
People with Parkinson’s tell us that:
- issuing authorities don’t understand that Parkinson’s is a progressive, incurable condition that fluctuates
- they’re put through unnecessary and stressful reassessments
- they have to wait a long time before their Blue Badge applications are processed.
View our map showing Blue Badge application wait times across England.
In 2025, we sent a Freedom of Information request to every authority that issued Blue Badges in England. Our research shows that the current model isn't working, and the scheme is inconsistent and unfair. Our findings showed that:
- 1 in 6 are not meeting their legal obligation to make sure assessments are carried out by properly qualified healthcare professionals
- nearly 60% do not automatically renew Blue Badges for people with incurable, progressive conditions like Parkinson’s
- the average number of weeks taken to process an application on the basis of walking difficulty ranges from 1 week to 17 weeks
- only 3% of authorities record how many people with Parkinson's apply, and only 1 in 5 provide clear data on refusals due to walking difficulties. So there's no transparency to allow us to hold issuing authorities to account.
"The assessor spent a lot of time focusing on pain. The assessor didn’t ask any Parkinson’s-specific questions about how the condition affects mobility. He didn’t seem to understand that difficulties with mobility don’t always involve pain."
- Person with Parkinson's
Support for you
Find out more about Blue Badges and make travelling easier for you.
Our team of trained advisers can give you information and advice on applying for a Blue Badge.