ULEZ expansion: support for disabled people

Driving in the ULEZ

The ULEZ operates across all London boroughs. If you drive anywhere within the zone, and your vehicle does not meet the emissions standards, you could face a daily charge of £12.50.

However, you don't need to pay the ULEZ charge on a particular day if your non-compliant vehicle is parked inside the zone and you don't drive it on that day.

Check your vehicle

If your car meets the emissions standards, you do not need to do anything, and you will not be charged the daily ULEZ charge.

Check if your vehicle meets the ULEZ emissions standards now.

ULEZ grace period (temporary discount)

If you are disabled and your vehicle (or your nominated driver's vehicle) does not meet ULEZ emissions standards, you may qualify for a temporary discount from the ULEZ charge called a grace period.

Eligible applicants for these grace periods will not need to pay the ULEZ charge until 25 October 2027.

Blue badge holders will need to pay the ULEZ charge unless their non-compliant vehicle qualifies for one of the following 3 grace periods.

We've provided a brief summary of these grace periods here, but you should visit our discounts and exemptions page for full details, eligibility criteria and the online application.

1. 'Disabled' and 'Disabled Passenger Vehicle' Tax Class grace period

Disabled people whose vehicles are registered with the DVLA as having 'disabled' or 'disabled' passenger vehicle tax class benefit from a grace period, that exempts them from paying the ULEZ charge until 24 October 2027 as long as the vehicle does not change tax class. If the vehicle is registered in the UK, then you will not need to take any action. If your vehicle is registered outside the UK, you are still exempt, but you will need to register with us.

2. Wheelchair accessible vehicles (WAV) grace period

This grace period is open to wheelchair-accessible cars and vans that do not meet ULEZ emissions standards and have been converted by mobility experts to allow a disabled person to access the vehicle as driver or passenger. To be eligible, the WAV need to be fitted with one of the adaptations outlined on our discounts and exemptions page.

3. Disabled Benefits grace period

To be eligible, you will need to receive certain disability benefits or meet specific medical criteria such as having a terminal illness, being registered blind (severely sight impaired), or having a child under 3 with a medical condition which means they need bulky equipment or to be near a vehicle. You can also apply for this grace period if you have a nominated driver and the vehicle is used solely for the disabled person's personal needs.

Scrappage scheme

The ULEZ grace periods for disabled people will be in place until October 2027. After this, you might need to pay the ULEZ charge if your vehicle doesn't meet ULEZ standards. You may want to consider the Mayor's £210m scrappage scheme, which operates on a first come, first served basis.

If you are a London resident with a non-compliant vehicle, you could apply for a grant payment to scrap your vehicle. 

If your application is successful, you could get up to £2,000 to scrap a car, £1,000 to scrap a motorcycle, £10,000 to scrap a wheelchair accessible car or van, or £6,000 retrofit a wheelchair accessible van.

There are also options to receive a lower grant payment and get one or two Annual Bus and Tram Passes worth more than the grant payment alone.

You can apply using the "start application" link on our ULEZ car and motorcycle scrappage scheme page.

If you are claiming certain disability benefits and have a nominated driver with an address outside of London, you can also apply to the scheme. Find out what you need to provide and how to apply in the 'Disabled people with a nominated driver outside London' section of our ULEZ car and motorcycle scrappage scheme page.

ULEZ support offers

There are also ULEZ support offers for successful scrappage scheme applicants, as well as offers for all London residents to take advantage of, whether they apply to the scrappage scheme or not.

NHS patient reimbursement

If you are clinically assessed as too ill to travel to an appointment on public transport, you may be eligible to claim back any ULEZ charge and/or Congestion Charge you paid from your treating hospital. Your hospital will tell you if you are eligible.