Join our campaign to fix Blue Badges

Getting a Blue Badge can make sure someone with Parkinson’s maintains their independence, such as getting to hospital appointments, physical activity classes, shopping and socialising with friends and family.

People with Parkinson’s tell us that:

• local councils don’t understand that Parkinson’s is a progressive, fluctuating, incurable condition
• they’re put through unnecessary and stressful reassessments
• they have to wait a long time before their Blue Badge applications are processed.

Steve's experience

Steve Prankerd, 65, from Devon, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2019 and applied for a Blue Badge through Devon County Council in 2026. Despite experiencing fatigue, anxiety and mobility difficulties that affect his day-to-day life, he was refused a Blue Badge.

Steve said: 

"I was told I should have applied under a different category, but that wasn’t clear when I completed the application. The whole process felt confusing and inconsistent from the start."

Steve explained that the assessment focused heavily on whether he could physically walk a certain distance, rather than the wider impact Parkinson’s has on his daily life.

"It felt like a box-ticking exercise. I didn’t feel like I was being listened to, and there seemed to be very little understanding of the complexity of Parkinson’s and how it affects people differently. Parkinson’s is much more complex than whether you can walk 50 yards. I have friends with Parkinson’s in neighbouring council areas who have Blue Badges, yet I was turned down. It doesn’t seem right that where you live can determine whether you get support."

Steve still doesn't have a Blue Badge and says the decision has had a significant impact on his independence and confidence.

"I’m much less confident travelling independently now. Simple trips can make me anxious because I worry about whether I’ll be able to park somewhere that gives me enough space to get out of the car safely. The system seems designed to look for reasons to say no, rather than understanding why someone needs support."

Our research

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. 

Take action

We’re asking you to take action. 

We want your local council to understand the importance of Blue Badges to people with Parkinson’s and what they can do to address the problem. With your help we hope to create a nationwide movement to end the postcode lottery of Blue Badges. 

Send a postcard to your council leader using our handy tool. 

We’re calling for statutory guidance from the UK government to:

• make Blue Badges lifelong for people with incurable, progressive conditions like Parkinson’s
• make sure councils fulfil their legal duty of making sure Blue Badge assessors are healthcare professionals 
• improve assessor training so they understand Parkinson’s 
• improve processing times for Blue Badge applications
• make sure all councils recognise Blue Badges issued by other councils 
• require better data collection and transparency around Blue Badge procedures by local councils.

Rowan Wathes, Associate Director of Policy and Health Strategy, commented: 

"People with Parkinson’s who rely on their car to get about are being let down by an unfair, inconsistent and slow Blue Badge system. Parkinson’s is a progressive condition with no cure and people with the condition should be offered the basic dignity of an automatic renewal. We need the UK government and local councils to fix Blue Badges now."