Blue badge application. How?

zolablue25

Hi

My wife suffers from SLE and Fibromyalgia. She has been on DLA for 5 years now and she has finally swallowed her pride and admitted she could really do with a blue badge as often it is really difficult for her to walk. The problem is, neither of us have the faintest clue how we go about applying for one .
Could some knowledgeable folk on here please help?

Thanks

somebody_else

Contact your local council and ask for an application form. It used to cost £2 but last time I renewed my badge it didn't cost me anything.

If your wife is in receipt of the higher rate of mobility then she'll automatically qualify for the badge.

In fact, if you click this link

http://local.direct.gov.uk/LDGRedirect/index.jsp?LGSL=279&LGIL=0&ServiceName=Apply+for+a+Blue+Badge+parking+permit

and enter your postcode, you should be able to apply on line (or you might have to print the form off first - I've not checked).

munchings-n-crunchings

Hello zolablue25,

It's quite simple to apply for a blue badge.
You need to phone your local council, and ask for an application form.

There are some automatic qualifying criteria.
When I applied for my daughter, High Rate Mobility and Middle Rate Care were 2 of them.

If you don't meet the automatic criteria, there is a section for your GP to support the application.

Here is a link to explain.
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/DisabledPeople/MotoringAndTransport/DG_4001061

There is also the concessionary travel scheme, which gives the elderly and disabled free transport on buses, and reduced travel on other forms of transport, this is available thru your local council.

Regards
Munchie

savemoney

Two years ago before my daughter got DLA we applied to local county council as local council dont do it. We had to pay £2 to register and 2 passport photos. She got turned down at a medical at local hospital. We appealed and she won didnt pay again but its renewal time in June. She now gets full mobility DLA so you can see its not as cut and dry as it seems

daska

It is cut and dried if you meet the criteria for an automatic badge. If you don't then you need the support of a health professional. My mum got hers without the support of her GP, who told her outright that she wouldn't support her application. Another doctor who saw her on a regular basis was happy to verify that my mum's mobility was below the ceiling and, when it came down to it, the GP couldn't argue that the he was wrong because the GP hadn't actually physically checked what my mum was capable of whereas the other doctor took the time to do this.

savemoney

We didnt get any medical opinion. She has to walk with a stick and cant stand for long. The assessment was a joke about 20 steps along a corridor and back and they said because she can walk it she wont get a blue badge. Even though she has to get a taxi to school paid partly by county council to a school 15-20 minutes away at the time, and still does to college now roughly same distance

zolablue25

savemoney wrote: »

Two years ago before my daughter got DLA we applied to local county council as local council dont do it. We had to pay £2 to register and 2 passport photos. She got turned down at a medical at local hospital. We appealed and she won didnt pay again but its renewal time in June. She now gets full mobility DLA so you can see its not as cut and dry as it seems

Thanks for all the help and advice. I believe my wife is on lower mobility and medium other bit! for DLA. I have phoned the local council this morning and they will send an application form today. We have been told that my wife should reapply for DLA as her condition has worsened since originally claiming and she has also been diagnosed with fribromyalgia since her orignal claim to go with her SLE. The problem is, as has been pointed out by many others on this forum, we are worried that applying for a regrading could mess up what she already gets. Thats the problem with the 'not-so-obvious' disabilities and the system requires an overhaul so this couldn't happen.

savemoney

zolablue25 my advice is get help with filling in form for DLA. My daughter got turned down twice. The 2nd time even though she had just had a op on her hip and now walks with a stick.

I appealed and got help because I think the forums are deliberately designed to put people off.

I went to a local disability advice centre in my area. Even when she won we didnt get the full back date because they claim she delayed the sending of the forums, even though at the time we just moved house, lost forms and we were 6's and 7's for a while

daska

The guidance for local authorities might be a good thing to look at if you want guidance on whether you might be eligible for a badge or if you're experiencing difficulty obtaining a blue badge and you think the decision is unfair.

"Their degree of impairment should be at a comparable level to that required to claim the Higher Rate Mobility Component of the Disability Living Allowance i.e:
(a) they cannot walk
Being unable to walk means that they cannot take a single step.
They need to show that because of their disability they cannot put one foot in front of the other.
Walking involves always having one foot on the ground.
If their only way of getting about is to swing through crutches then they will be considered unable to walk.

(b) they are virtually unable to walk
They will need to show that, as a result of a physical disability, they are unable to walk very far without experiencing severe discomfort. This question does not apply to people with mental disabilities, your inability to walk very far must stem from a
physical condition.
The Department for Works and Pensions takes a number of factors into account when deciding whether or not someone meets this criterion. For example:
Discomfort can mean either pain or breathlessness. Extreme fatigue and stress may also be taken into account. It has been accepted that discomfort is subjective and that some people have higher pain thresholds than others. Unless both legs are missing then they will need to show that they experience severe discomfort even when using an artificial aid.
When deciding whether they are virtually unable to walk, the following factors should be taken into account:
�� the distance over which they can walk without experiencing severe discomfort;
�� the speed at which they can walk;
�� the length of time for which they can walk;
�� the manner in which they can walk.
If they can only walk up to 27 metres without severe discomfort, then they will qualify for the higher rate.
If they can only walk between 27 and 64 metres without severe discomfort, then it is likely that they will qualify for the higher rate.
If they can walk more than 64 metres without severe discomfort, then they will need to show that the other three factors mean that they are virtually unable to walk. For example, if they can show that it takes them fi ve minutes to walk 100 metres, they
should qualify for the higher rate.
As a guide, the average person can walk the following in a minute:
�� 90 metres at a brisk pace;
�� 60–70 metres at a moderate speed;
�� 40–50 metres at a slow pace;
�� 30–40 at a very slow pace.
It does not matter whether the severe discomfort occurs at the time of their walk or later. What counts is that the discomfort is a direct result of their attempt to walk.

(c) The exertion required to walk would ‘constitute a danger to their life or would be likely to lead to a serious deterioration in their health’
The test here is whether the exertion required to walk would constitute a danger to their life or whether it would be likely to lead to a serious deterioration in their health.
They need to show that they should not walk very far because of the danger to their health.
This criterion is intended for people with serious chest, lung or heart conditions.
Some people with haemophilia may also qualify for the higher rate in this way.
The serious deterioration does not need to be permanent, but it should require medical intervention for them to recover.
They will need to show that any danger to their health is a direct result of the physical effort required to walk.
People with epilepsy will need to show that any fits were brought about by the effort required to walk.

matelot123

savemoney wrote: »

zolablue25 my advice is get help with filling in form for DLA. My daughter got turned down twice. The 2nd time even though she had just had a op on her hip and now walks with a stick.

I appealed and got help because I think the forums are deliberately designed to put people off.

I went to a local disability advice centre in my area. Even when she won we didnt get the full back date because they claim she delayed the sending of the forums, even though at the time we just moved house, lost forms and we were 6's and 7's for a while

To be fair, it's hardly the fault of the DWP if you lose forms, move house and get in 6's and 7's (whatever that means).If you delayed sending the forms because of these reasons then that's hardly a design fault is it?I don't think the forms are designed to put people off I think the forms are designed to get as accurate a picture as possible from people as well as (possibly) alert the decision makers to the possibility of a fraudulent application..apparently from time to time people make these types of claim

I think many people who have their claims rejected have probably failed to fill in the appropriate type and amount of detailed information.I do accept that some claims are rejected almost automatically with little regard to the information in them or the supporting evidence but judging by the amount of posts you see regarding how to fill in the forms usually by people who have already been turned down once it is hardly surprising that a lot of people seem to have their DLA claims rejected at least once