Disabled Parking Query

P4ula

Hello, just joined but have been a lurker for many a month. Anyway, to the point, my father is 67 years old, disabled and was recently given a blue badge issued by the council. His doctor last year recommended he goes swimming twice a week to help with his arthritis. He only gets his pension as he was turned down for Attendance Allowances as he has mobility but not care needs apparently, so every penny counts. Until very recently, whilst at the swimming pool which is part of a private gymnasium - there is no public pool in the town, he parked his car for free in the disabled bays of the council car park next door to the pool free of charge. However last week he received a £40 parking ticket, as the council has from the 1st of February changed the car park rules so that instead of being free for everyone, everyone must now pay £6.00 to park (it been classed as a long stay car park). The only exception being those cars with disabled tax discs which can still park free of charge. Dad has appealed the parking ticket but other disabled people with only blue badges who have also received tickets have apparently already lost appeals so he doesn't hold out much hope. I made enquiries with the council as I thought it very discriminatory but was told free parking on car parks is a concession, not a right and the blue badge scheme actually only applies on a road and not on off street car parks. Is this correct|? Anyway all roads surrounding the gym are either urban clearways or have loading bans with kerb markings so a blue badge cannot be used to park anywhere near the pool. Is there anything we can do?. The local paper isn't interested (dare not criticise the council!) and Dad's ward councillor actually voted in favour of charges being introduced at car parks so is no use as is his local MP. It rankles that those younger disabled people who can get a Motability car can park free because of the free tax disc but if your too old to get one you have to pay. Paula

longhotbath

Sorry that you have had a problem P4ula, but your fathers council sounds like my council, which charges full price for car park bb parking. Read the blue badge booklet. It is very clear that private, and council car parks can operates differently to highways.
Why does is rankle with you that younger people can get car tax exemption? In fact, many don't - a car may be used for many people within the family - its not just drivers who have disabilities. We dont qualify as we have one family car - my son gets higher care and high mobility.
I would suggest use a swimming pool in a different town if there is nowhere local to the swimming pool that your father can park. Write to the council to explain why their facilities are inadequate....

mouseymousey99

My council wanted to do this too. You could always ask your dad to join:-
http://www.dda.org.uk/
Other than that how do the pool people feel about it? Can they provide some parking after all they must be loosing custom?

P4ula

longhotbath wrote: »

Why does is rankle with you that younger people can get car tax exemption? In fact, many don't - a car may be used for many people within the family - its not just drivers who have disabilities. We dont qualify as we have one family car - my son gets higher care and high mobility.
I would suggest use a swimming pool in a different town if there is nowhere local to the swimming pool that your father can park. Write to the council to explain why their facilities are inadequate....

It is the fact that had my father been fortunate (or rather unfortunate) enough to become disabled before turning 65, he may have been entitled to Disability Allowance instead of Attendance Allowance. The Disability allowance having an element for mobility as well as care.

Then he may have been entitled to the disabled tax disc (to park free) which I am assured only war veterans can have post age 65 unless one is already in receipt of Disability Allowance before age 65. It seems to be age discrimination.

As for another town, the nearest public pool is twenty three miles away and again he would run into the same parking problem as it is in the same Local Authority. The gym/pool have complained to the council about the parking charges and losing custom but so far have got nowhere. All the council are interested in doing is raking in the cash.

For the life of me I just cannot understand why only those with disabled tax can park for free whilst those with only a blue badge cannot. It does seem to discriminate against the elderly who only have a pension for income. It even extends to a local shopping centre who again only allow disabled tax holders to park free. It seems a blue badge is getting to the stage of not being worth the card it is printed on. Sorry about the rant.........
Paula

longhotbath

Hi - please dont apologise! It is a way that some councils use to get extra revenue. As I said, families with non driving members - and volunteer drivers also get stung by this too.
Have you thought about the www.parkatmyhouse.com website to see if there are any local drives for rent that your father could use - you might even be able to put in a request, though Im not too sure. Does the pool have staff parking or equipment/supplies loading area that your father could use if he let them know in advance?
As for the pool - it doesnt have to be a public one. Are there any hotels / private houses with pools that he could rent or become members of their lesure schemes. - My son goes to a private house for swimming as the local public pools are all to cold for him to swim in.

Best wishes.

qwertyuiop12345

P4ula wrote: »

For the life of me I just cannot understand why only those with disabled tax can park for free whilst those with only a blue badge cannot. It does seem to discriminate against the elderly who only have a pension for income.

Whilst I agree that this is a terrible policy, it does not discriminate against the elderly as many disabled people of any age cannot get a disabled tax disc for various reasons. (For example anyone, like myself, who is too disabled to be able to drive would get a blue badge but not a tax disc).

Councils are so greedy aren't they £6 is ridiculously expensive!!!

daska

what is actually most terrible about this is that the 'free' disc is not means tested. So, basically, you could have a person who gets a free badge for their car because they can afford to have a second, or even tenth, car for family use, and they will get to park for free whereas families on a lower income who cannot afford a second car, and therefore cannot apply for the free disc, have to pay more for parking. I'm just about to have give mine up because my husband has found a job (for one week) for which he needs the car and legally he can't use the car with my tax disc. I'm no less disabled and I am no more able to walk than before and it will make no appreciable difference to our income over the year. Go figure!

daska

and yes, I do think it's discriminatory that you can only get a free tax disc if you become disabled under the age of 65!

George1266

My council has also recently introduced charges for disabled parking unless in receipt of a disabled tax disc. Could someone please tell me what actually is the criteria to receive the free disabled tax disc? Thank you.

Pete268

George1266 wrote: »

My council has also recently introduced charges for disabled parking unless in receipt of a disabled tax disc. Could someone please tell me what actually is the criteria to receive the free disabled tax disc? Thank you.

Hi,

One must be in receipt of the High Rate Mobility Component of Disability Living Allowance (which can ony be applied for prior to ones 65th Birthday)

or

Be a War Pensioner in receipt of the War Pensioners Mobility Supplement (for which there is no upper age limit for application).

A vehicle with a disabled tax disc can only be used by the disabled person or by another person on behalf of the disabled person for the benefit of the disabled person (such as shopping, collecting prescriptions etc)

Details here:

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/DisabledPeople/MotoringAndTransport/Yourvehicleandlicence/DG_10028003

Regards

Peter

George1266

Pete268 wrote: »

Hi,

One must be in receipt of the High Rate Mobility Component of Disability Living Allowance (which can ony be applied for prior to ones 65th Birthday)

or

Be a War Pensioner in receipt of the War Pensioners Mobility Supplement (for which there is no upper age limit for application).

A vehicle with a disabled tax disc can only be used by the disabled person or by another person on behalf of the disabled person for the benefit of the disabled person (such as shopping, collecting prescriptions etc)

Details here:

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/DisabledPeople/MotoringAndTransport/Yourvehicleandlicence/DG_10028003

Regards

Peter

Thank you for the quick response. It would appear that, as I am not a war pensioner and am 66 years of age, I would not qualify despite having a blue badge. George