London Congestion Charge exemption for disabled people

easy
easy Posts: 2,516
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As I am disabled, a blue badge holder, I applied for exemption 2 weeks ago, we go to london beginning of next week.

Anyway, rang today to find out why I hadn't received any reply. Apparently they didn't like my photocopy of the blue badge, and it has taken them 10 working days to let me know (letter went out today).

However, apparently, my vehicle is already on an exemptions list, as I get through the motability scheme.

Now I haven't seen anything in any paperwork, from either transport for london nor from Motability that says this is the case. If it is, then I've just wasted £10 on an application I don't need to make.

Anyone else know this?
I try not to get too stressed out on the forum. I won't argue, i'll just leave a thread if you don't like what I say. :)
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Comments

  • kentyy
    kentyy Posts: 139
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    That's odd.
    I've paid up for the past few years to the congestion charge scheme(the one off payment) and have my mobility car. I wasn't on the scheme automatically before I applied, and also renewed (and paid) again this year.
  • bigturnip
    bigturnip Posts: 420
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    If you car tax is classed as disabled then you receive automatic exemption and don't need to register (I believe this is the case with all motability cars now), however registering does give you a few extra benefits like being able to switch exemption to another car for the day, but it's only worth registering if you are going to make use of the extra benefits.
    I've given up trying to get my signature to work with the new rules, if nobody knows what the rules are what hope do we have?
  • shykins
    shykins Posts: 2,758
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    what if my car is registered disabled but is not thru the motability scheme am i automtically exempt or do i have to register?
    When you know better you do better

    Atkins since 2004 - 8 stone loss maintaining
  • flang
    flang Posts: 1,094 Forumite
    Why on earth do disabled people get the congestion charge for free?
    I was under the impression that most buses now days have disabled access.

    I have nothing against genuine disabled people however there are too many people with blue badges that are more able and financially better off than myself!
  • kentyy
    kentyy Posts: 139
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    flang wrote: »
    Why on earth do disabled people get the congestion charge for free?
    I was under the impression that most buses now days have disabled access.

    I have nothing against genuine disabled people however there are too many people with blue badges that are more able and financially better off than myself!

    You question to why do disabled get congestion charge for free...... I am unable to work and so am on benefits and would not be able to afford the travel from the corner of kent to london twice a week for treatment on public transport plus there is no bus that gets me there in time and some train stations are not as well equipped with dealing with wheelchair users as you may think. Treatments can last approx 3months in a row or so, which would add up to a huge bill that i could not afford. I have got a mobility car to get me from my home to hospital and back and to get me places that i could not otherwise get to.

    I find it surprising that you don't understand that with some disabilities, it is extremely difficult and sometimes nearly impossible to use public transport.
    Having a mobility car and not having to pay the congestion charge helps me to get treatment.. does it mean that you dont agree that i should not get treatment and stay home and suffer instead? (i should hope this is not the case). I see you said you dont mean this for genuine cases, but us genuine cases don't like being clumped into a general group of people trying to get somethng for nothing.

    Maybe just a little thought should be given before just assuming disabled people are on the fiddle and trying to get things for no reason.

    Sorry rant over!
  • flang
    flang Posts: 1,094 Forumite
    kentyy wrote: »
    You question to why do disabled get congestion charge for free...... I am unable to work and so am on benefits and would not be able to afford the travel from the corner of kent to london twice a week for treatment on public transport plus there is no bus that gets me there in time and some train stations are not as well equipped with dealing with wheelchair users as you may think. Treatments can last approx 3months in a row or so, which would add up to a huge bill that i could not afford. I have got a mobility car to get me from my home to hospital and back and to get me places that i could not otherwise get to.

    I find it surprising that you don't understand that with some disabilities, it is extremely difficult and sometimes nearly impossible to use public transport.
    Having a mobility car and not having to pay the congestion charge helps me to get treatment.. does it mean that you dont agree that i should not get treatment and stay home and suffer instead? (i should hope this is not the case). I see you said you dont mean this for genuine cases, but us genuine cases don't like being clumped into a general group of people trying to get somethng for nothing.

    Maybe just a little thought should be given before just assuming disabled people are on the fiddle and trying to get things for no reason.

    Sorry rant over!

    Fair comment however I find it hard to believe you can’t afford transport in London as a lot of the time it’s a lot cheaper than driving!
    I do however understand it can be hard getting on and off public transport.

    Whilst I appreciate that some people like yourself can’t work and do require regular hospital treatment there are too many able people taking advantage of the system.

    A similar post was posted regarding tickets in great Yarmouth.
    Coner has an intresting post.....Click here
  • Biggles
    Biggles Posts: 8,209
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    It's nothing to do with getting the car through Motability, it depends on whether your car is Vehicle Excise Duty Exempt (most Motability cars will be but so will many others). If so, you don't need any other exemption, as your car will be recognised as being exempt when they compare their records with DVLA.

    Transport for London's site was appalling in this respect, in that it didn't mention this exemption, and guided you into paying £10 for the Blue Badge exemption. I complained when I discovered the VED exemption and got a refund of my £10.

    Now, the website is slightly better, in that there is a mention on the 'Discounts and Exemptions' page of the VED exemption.
  • bigturnip
    bigturnip Posts: 420
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    flang wrote: »
    Fair comment however I find it hard to believe you can’t afford transport in London as a lot of the time it’s a lot cheaper than driving!
    I do however understand it can be hard getting on and off public transport.

    Whilst I appreciate that some people like yourself can’t work and do require regular hospital treatment there are too many able people taking advantage of the system.

    A similar post was posted regarding tickets in great Yarmouth.
    Coner has an intresting post.....Click here

    While most people agree there are too many people taking advantage of the system, this doesn't mean the system is wrong. The post you refer to is a load of rubbish anyway, if the first sentence were true nobody over 65 could apply for a blue badge and I reckon at least 90% of blue badges are held by the over 65's. Even if the £24,000 figure is right, which I don't believe for one minute, why shouldn't genuinely disabled people receive that level of income? It's only an average income and there are often many added expenses with being disabled, so disabled people would still be financially worse off than the average worker.

    It's very well if you live in London being able to get around on disabled friendly public transport, but if you live outside London there is no such thing and I even dispute it's existence in London. Only buses are accessible and that's only if the driver stops, because they will often drive past people in wheelchairs because of the hassle of getting them on board. Once on board an argument with a number of mother's is normally required to get them to remove their pushchairs from the wheelchair spot.
    I've given up trying to get my signature to work with the new rules, if nobody knows what the rules are what hope do we have?
  • Biggles
    Biggles Posts: 8,209
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    flang wrote: »
    Why on earth do disabled people get the congestion charge for free?
    I was under the impression that most buses now days have disabled access.
    So, to visit our daughter in London, we should drive 100 miles. Then pay to park the car somewhere outside the zone AND within walking distance (for a disabled person, not far) of the correct bus route? Hmm.
  • Biggles wrote: »
    So, to visit our daughter in London, we should drive 100 miles. Then pay to park the car somewhere outside the zone AND within walking distance (for a disabled person, not far) of the correct bus route? Hmm.


    I think the argument is that the person will be on DLA and most likely other benefits and therefore is as capable if not more than many other people to pay the congestion for a choice they have made

    If they dont like it, go to the inconvenience of public transport

    Basically the same decision everyone else makes and pays

    This country is far too accomodating to disabled folk, many of whom are complete chancers or work shy scum
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