Blue Badge approvals for Adhd reach 55,000 after 2019 rule change
Councils approved 55,000 Blue Badge applications for hidden disabilities last year, including adhd. The figure marks a sharp rise since the 2019 rule changes first opened the permit scheme to people with non-visible conditions.
Drivers with ADHD and other hidden disabilities can apply for a Blue Badge, but local councils decide eligibility and require all necessary evidence. Applicants must provide proof of identity, proof of address, a recent head and shoulders digital photo, their national insurance number and other contact details.
2019 Blue Badge rule changes
The 2019 changes were meant to let people with conditions such as dementia and arthritis benefit from Blue Badge parking permits for the first time. Since then, the number of badges handed out for hidden disabilities has tripled in three years, rising from 18,000 a year in 2021 to 55,000 last year.
Department for Transport data shows that 5.2 per cent of people in England have a parking permit, while around 5 per cent of drivers across England possess a Blue Badge. Those figures sit alongside the recent jump in approvals for hidden disabilities, which now make up a much larger part of the scheme than they did when the route was introduced.
ADHD Blue Badge approvals
An NHS report from November last year cited a study claiming 1.8 per cent of UK adults reported a professional diagnosis for ADHD. That gives some scale to why ADHD has become one of the conditions now appearing in Blue Badge applications under the hidden-disability route.
The scheme still rests with councils, not a single national decision-maker, and each applicant has to supply evidence before a badge is issued. For readers applying now, the practical step is to gather the required documents before starting a local council application.
Blue Badge application evidence
The permit route was originally designed for people who cannot walk, have a life-limiting illness, have children under three with medical conditions, are a significant risk near vehicles or in traffic or car parks, or struggle severely to plan or follow a journey. The hidden-disability route widened access, but the approval record shows how much that expansion has been used in practice.
What changed for affected readers is straightforward: ADHD and similar conditions can be considered for a Blue Badge, but only through council assessment and supporting evidence. The next step for anyone applying is to meet the local evidence requirements before a council can decide whether the badge should be issued.
