Travel costs: people with disabilities and carers
Key information
If you are disabled or a carer you may be entitled
to free or discounted travel on public transport.
If you are a driver you may be entitled to an exemption
from paying road tax, and to a blue badge which gives you parking
concessions.
Applies to: England, Scotland, Wales and
Northern Ireland
Index
You can read through this information sheet, or go directly to
the sections you want to read by clicking on these links:
Bus
England, Wales and Scotland
If you are disabled you have the right to
free bus travel (link opens in a new window).
Northern Ireland
You get free travel if you are registered blind and half-price
travel if you get certain disability-related benefits. In
Northern Ireland, for more information about travel concessions, go
to the Translink
website (link opens in a new window).
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Train
If you travel by train, you may also qualify for a Disabled Person's
Railcard (link opens in a new window), which entitles you and
an accompanying adult to one-third off the price of a rail
ticket.
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Car
Road Tax exemption
If you are a disabled driver, you may get an exemption from
paying Road Tax. See the
Directgov website (link opens in a new window) for more
information about this and how to apply.
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Blue Badge Parking Permit
Anyone aged over two years old automatically qualifies for a
Blue Badge, if they are:
- Registered blind
- Receiving the higher rate of the mobility component of
Disability Living Allowance or a War
Pensioner’s Mobility Supplement.
Other people with severe disabilities may also qualify following
assessment by their local council.
The Blue Badge Parking Permit allows people who qualify for
the scheme – as a driver or a passenger – to park close to
where they need to go. It also provides exemption from some tolls
at river crossings, bridges and tunnels as well as the London
Congestion Charge (link opens in a new window) - although
in most cases you have to apply in advance to qualify. It can also
be used in some European Union countries.
The scheme is available throughout the UK, but the rules about
where you can park differ in each country.
There are also restrictions in the following London boroughs,
which have their own concessions:
- City of London
- City of Westminster
- Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
- Part of the London Borough of Camden.
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How do I apply?
You apply for a Blue Badge, which is usually valid for up to
three years, through your local
council (link opens in a new window) .
There may be a small charge.
The Government’s information website, Directgov, has
comprehensive
information on the Blue Badge Scheme (link opens in a new
window).
If you live in England, Directgov also allows you to do a
postcode search to identify your local council (link opens in a new
window). It then links to information on your council’s website
that explains how you apply for a Blue Badge. This is usually
paper-based but some councils may also allow you to apply
online
If you live in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, Directgov
provides
links to the home pages of local council websites (link opens in a
new window) from which you can search for local Blue Badge
information.
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Carers
Carers can sometimes get travel concessions to accompany a
person with disabilities on public transport. For example, if the
person has a Disabled Person's
Railcard (link opens in a new window), this qualifies you
to a discount when you travel with them by train.
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This information has been produced by Citizens
Advice.
Updated: 6 April 2012
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