Great 'What discounts can I get when I'm disabled' Hunt

Doom_and_Gloom

thermalaudio wrote: »

Not all Disabled people can actually get a Disabled Railcard though which is a bit of a con, to get one as quoted by the Railcard Team in Newcastle, you must be either Blind or a Wheelchair user.

If you get DLA and you need to be in receipt of either mobility and/or mid/high rate care.
If you are older you need to be in receipt of attendance allowence.
Being a wheelchair user for the rail card isn't needed but being blind is a reason for a rail card.

If you go to http://www.disabledpersons-railcard.co.uk/buying-your-railcard you can see all the ways you can be entitled to a disabled rail card. If you have any of what is in the elegible collum (sp?) you can get the rail card.

shinysheena

I am neither blind or in a wheelchair and have (and use often) a Disabled Person's Railcard to travel alone, due to the reciept of middle rate-care DLA. I wasn't aware of an entitlement to DLA until a free benefits lawyer at the Wiltshire Law Centre informed me. He filled out the 40-page form on my behalf and both he and my therapist said they would reject it initially. That came to pass, yet on a letter of appeal written by the lawyer, it was awarded. tricky benefit to get, sure I wouldn't have succeeded alone.

A 3-year card cost £48 and has more than paid for itself. It opens doors in recieving conscessions as a form of proof of disability. (although why should we have to 'prove' disability?) Haven't been challenged (my disablities aren't physical) and it seems most people are too embarrassed to - especially when they can't tell out of me and my companion who is meant to be disabled!

A bonus when travelling in London, is the discount on underground travel, and your companion can travel on a £2 child's travel card.
"Better still, Railcard holders can save even more. If you hold a Disabled Persons Railcard, you can get an Oyster card and have the Railcard discount entitlement loaded on to it. You can then use Oyster Pay-As-You-Go at adult-rate, but your Off-Peak Oyster daily price cap will be 34 per cent lower than the equivalent adult-rate cap."

It's been fun finding exploring the discounts - Alton Towers was awesome: we each paid £15.20 for a disabled/carer ticket and I only needed to flash the railcard to obtain the wristbands that fast-tracked us onto all rides. It felt great!
London Galleries (tate etc) with ticketed shows offer discounted disabled/free carer
All London attractions
as do Bristol attractions.. @bristol, bristol zoo etc

Glastonbury festival has special disabled camping, viewing platforms and loos plus a PA scheme where you carer goes FREE

My town of Swindon offers a conscessionary bus pass (2 travel free) and something called a supporter's Swindon card which offers discounted disabled/free carer- for all the borough's facilities inc. swimming, ice-skating,mini golf, theatre... have saved a fortune and it gets us out more

great thread

adoreholidays

This is infuriating that people being told wrong about merlin annual pass. We have for years always bought merlin annual pass with tesco vouchers. Then 3 seasons back we were about to renew our passes so as we go on to the merlin annual passholder site for info I noticed mention of disabled and free carers pass which we are now into our third season with so not sure how long they have being doing it but atleast that long. I am so glad they do now do this I remember an incident at thorpe park when my son was abt 6 when things would get stressful he wld run and hide this happened on one visit we had only got there it was abt 1030 I was with my sister and her 2 boys he had hidden in some trees and bushes we had all the staff looking for him and didn't find him untill 2pm by a member of staff he had stayed there all that time then we just left as it had been all so stressful and day ruined for everyone. Atleast with annual passes you are not paying entry every time you go in case this happens again. He became ace at hiding especially in school they would spend hours trying to find him before he was statemented behind pianos in dark corners under stairs in cupboards because he was very thin and small he was quite a challenge to them

JillW75

Hi, I recently contacted Beamish Museum for my parents to see what discount diabled guests get. Unfortunatly they do not offer any discount for disabled people but do admit their carers in free of charge. You just have to tell the staff at the entrance who is the carer and off you go. It is a saving of £16 for an adult or £13 for a 60+ so worth having.
:rotfl:

adoreholidays

shykins wrote: »

ooh just thought of another thing i was told. if u are going on the eurotunnel u get upgraded to first class and get the associated drinks/food etc if u are in a wheelchair but still only pay the basic price. havent tried this but was told by a friend who is in a wheelchair

interesting to kow about the kids discounts as my son has just been diagnosed with ADHD (poss ASD) . problem is we have been turned down by DLA and only have a privately paid diagnosis report - wonder if this would be acceptable at legoland etc

Did you have help filling in the forms as we had ours turned down initailly when we tried to do it ourself then had someone who deals with these forms help the second time and this was successful and it helps if you get good reports from the school the last time we had to apply we ended up being awarded until our son's 16 birthday it was such a relief as these forms are a nightmare this was solely on county council report as our son was excluded from school at the time and waiting to be statemented. Ours all started from a private assessment report when he was 5, as initially got very little help from school as they would say easily managed if only. I think aslong as it is a report from a doctor it should be okay but you can ring and check and get name of who you speak to.

shykins

no i didnt get help but am considering appealing. unfortunately he is not in school and the PRU gave him a glowing report to DLA but then hes only been there 3 weeks. oh dont get me started lol

will bear in mind your suggestion tho thanks and ring first it would certainly make places like legoland etc easier if we could get him wristbands in his own right altho i can get them i dont want to go on the rides which makes it awkward

i even emailed legoland and explained how i couldnt stand in the queues with my son and they still said unless i was in a wheelchair i couldnt get the passes OR the carer free ticket.

good we have this thread as forewarned is foreamed!!

crossleydd42

JayWalker wrote: »

Well, there's the disabled person's railcard. You have to buy it, but you then get discounted travel for TWO PEOPLE for the duration of the railcard.

Clear info and application form here: http://www.disabledpersons-railcard.co.uk/buying-your-railcard

- and there's lots of assistance available when you travel, all free of charge.

And often your local council is offering these at a discount. Enquire there first!

notanotherusername

If you are a Blue Badge holder,you are entitled to free passage through the Dartford Crossing.Apply to the Dartford Crossing web-site direct.

1Moneymonster

my family are on the medium band of disability allowance for my son who is 1 year `and 3 months, we are in desperate need of a vehicle to take him to appointments and physio etc, but we called the DLA and they said that he needs to be 3 years and over to get mobility? is there anyway i can get discount ormobility for a car. help.

Indie_Kid

The folllowing people are entitled to fee prescriptions:
A permanent fistula (for example caecostomy, colostomy, laryngostomy or ileostomy) requiring an appliance or continuous surgical dressing.
A form of hypoadrenalism (for example Addison's disease) for which specific substitution therapy is needed.
Diabetes insipidus or other forms of hypopituitarism.
Diabetes mellitus, except where treatment is by diet alone.
Hypoparathyroidism.
Myasthenia gravis.
Myxoedema (hypothyroidism requiring thyroid hormone replacement).
Epilepsy requiring continuous anticonvulsive therapy.
Continuing physical disability which means the person can't go out without the help of another person. Temporary disabilities do not count even if they last for several months.
Patients being treated for cancer, including the effects of cancer or the effects of cancer treatment, can apply for a medical exemption