Car NEEDED for uni

Lindy-Lou_2

My daughter is a severe asthmatic and will need a car for getting from halls to lectures and also to attend hospital appointments etc. Has/is anybody else in this situation and managed to get any help - it is not a choice but a necessity. Also she has applied for a Blue Badge will she be abled to get a disabled parking bay? Does anybody know if Disability Living Allowance will be made as we have never asked for it?

PS Any ideas for car insurance would be helpful.

Thanks

Ytaya

DLA (disability living allowance) is nothing to do with being a student. It's something you have to apply for yourself (see http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/DisabledPeople/FinancialSupport/DG_10011731 ).

As for your other questions, the best option is to get in touch with the university. They will have a Student Services department, or a Disability Coordinator, or something similar, and they'll be able to tell you the university policy and any help your daughter might be entitled to. I'm not sure if transport is covered under Disabled Students Allowance, but it's worth asking (or Google it and check it out yourself).

currynchips

Ideas as to how to get the car insurance down?
Go with a femal only company, make sure your name is on it also, buy a European car(Japanese/US cars are high premiums), low insurance group(corsa,saxo,C2), low yearly mileage, good parking.
If this isn't what you meant, sorry.

littlebird22

The university should have someone who specifically deals with disabled students so I would definitely get in contact with them. As above, the smaller the car the better really. I don't take my car to uni but I know that at my uni the cost of a parking permit increases in direct relation to engine size i.e. the bigger the engine, the more you pay.

Lindy-Lou_2

Thank you so much to you all for your advice/info - will speak with dd. She spent so much time in hospital prior to all her 'important' exams and worked extremely hard to get where she is, so I want to help her as much as possible as I am so proud of her.

Lindy-lou

Lokolo

Any reason why she can't get the bus?

Without sounding rude, she's survived not having her own car uptil now? I'm sure at some point she had to get the bus or something?

Something you might want to look up - how far away is the hospital from her accomodation? Ha, you should have her come to Stafford. The hospital is next to the university, which is next to the accomodation

SuziQ

She may get DLA it depends on her care needs etc-best to get help with completing the forms to get the best chance,she could also get awarded a mobility component.


There are other benefits available once mobility needs are established see here:


http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/DisabledPeople/MotoringAndTransport/index.htm?cids=Google_PPC&cre=DPAC_Franchise


ETS my daughter is going to Kent Uni next month,and the ONLY students allowed to take cars there are those with disability.
It's a pity you didn't get working on this sooner though as DLA alone can take 6-8 weeks for assesssment even if they decide not to send her to see a DR.

Mojisola

Get in touch with the disability advice unit at the uni as soon as possible. I know they vary from uni to uni but they couldn't have been more helpful when my son went to Edinburgh last year. He was given a room in a post-grad block - ground floor, next door to a food shop and by a bus stop on the route which went direct to his lecture block. I am sure that all this made the difference between him being able to complete the year and failing through illness.

He was also given guarentees about not having more than one exam on the same day and having extra time for exams.

Lindy-Lou_2

Any reason why she can't get the bus?

Without sounding rude, she's survived not having her own car uptil now? I'm sure at some point she had to get the bus or something?


I would :j for you for her to be able to jump on and off a bus, but we are talking about a severe asthmatic here. Prior to her passing her test it was 'Mum's Taxi' especially during the winter. She does not choose to be like this, especially in the Winter, and nothing would give her greater pleasure than to be able to do 'normal' things, anyway she doesn't let it get her down and copes with whatever is thrown at her to the best of her ability. Please do not think she is lazy or a !!!!!!!!!!, hopefully a different environment might be of benefit.

Thank you for the link, that is really helpful. Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Lindy-lou :T

jackk_2

what about a mobility scoot thingy to get her from hall to campus, and around campus etc?, and a cab for hospital appointments (she mighten even be able to claim the cab fare back), even if she can't get the fare back it'll probably still be cheaper than running a car.

Jackie x

Horace

If she is going to Birmingham Uni, they do have a disability advisor in Student Support Services. She may need a car there because the halls are quite a distance from the main campus. Birmingham Uni do arrange for discounted or free bus passes on one particular bus service - you just need to show your ID card. Again this is something that she could find out from the University.

Parking on campus is limited and usually taken up by staff. Everybody has to pay and it may not be cost effective for your daughter to have a car to drive to and from lectures because these tend to take place all over campus.

A scooter or other small motorised vehicle may be more useful.

HTH