Please state, for each of the following financial years:
• 2024/25
• 2025/26

1.The total number of Blue Badges issued by the authority.
• 2024/25: 3845
• 2025/26: 3786

2. The number of Blue Badges issued under “hidden disability”, “non-visible disability”, “non-visible hidden”, or equivalent eligibility criteria.
• 2024/25: 272 (March 2024 – December 2024)
• 2025/26: 344

3. Of the badges referred to in Question 2, please state how many applications included reference to:
a) Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
b) Anxiety and/or anxiety disorder
This includes cases where the condition was recorded as either a primary or secondary factor within the application or assessment process.
Not possible to give this information in precise numbers.
All hidden disability applications are seen by our Occupational Therapist(OT) for assessment. Many people that apply assume that a diagnosis of ADHD or Autism in particular will automatically allow applicants to have a Blue Badge. This is not the case. Our OT has to follow the following guidelines:

Under the ‘Hidden Disabilities’ criteria. To qualify under this criterion, an applicant must have any enduring (lasting for at least three years) and substantial disability that means they are, during the course of a journey, at risk of serious harm, when walking, or pose, when walking, a risk of serious harm to themselves or any other person.
Department for Transport (DfT) September 2019 guidance expects that in the context of disabilities that are predominantly non-visible ('hidden') in nature, a risk of serious harm to self/others could manifest as one or more of the following behaviours:
• Becoming physically aggressive towards others, possibly without intent or awareness of the impact their actions may have;
• Refusing to walk altogether, dropping to the floor, or becoming a dead-weight;
• Wandering off or running away, possibly without awareness of surroundings or their associated risks (e.g. nearby roads, car park environments);
• Disobeying, ignoring and/or being unaware of clear instructions;
• Experiencing very severe or overwhelming anxiety (e.g. through hypervigilance);
• Experiencing an overwhelming sense of fear of public/open/busy spaces;
• Experiencing serious harm or causing harm to others;
• Avoiding some/all types of journeys due to the kinds of experiences listed above.
Having a particular medical condition, does not provide ‘Eligible without further assessment’ eligibility and each application is considered solely on its merits in relation to the scheme eligibility criteria, regardless of condition (p4.41).
DfT Guidance (p4.80), advises that ‘very considerable difficulty whilst walking’ and ‘serious harm during the course of a journey are high thresholds that should be applied to all applicants equally.’
The OT needs evidence from a Health Care Professional to confirm the issues the applicant is experiencing. With school aged children it is often the school that can support what the parent is experiencing. With adults this can be more difficult to obtain supporting documents.
Some applicants with severe anxiety issues have applied for PIP (Personal Independence Payments) and if they have severe anxiety they are likely to be given an ‘E’ descriptor - Cannot undertake any journey because it would cause overwhelming psychological distress to the claimant.