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

LadyRie_2

I have just booked tickets to see Russell Watson at the Meridian Theatre in NE lincs and i got a free ticket as a carer I paid £31-50 for two tickets !

thin_wallet

If you have a valid blue badge you can park in the short term car park at Gatwick Airport and pay the normal long term rate. You have to phone BAA parking first and pre book. When finally leaving the car park you go to the manned pay kiosk and pay whilst showing your blue badge.
It makes life so much easier as you can also call from phones in the car park and get picked up by wheelchair or buggy and taken to check-in.

descartesmum

This is free any way but I thought I would mention it. My library allows 12 books/cds out at a time. I wrote to them via the council explaining that I am disabled, it was already on my library account, and now I am allowed 25 books out at a time and for 6 weeks instead of 3. Please mention to the library that you are on IS or DLA so it will go onto your account and you might not have to pay to request a book nor pay late fees.

NOSONDDU

Cadw are in charge of most of the castles in Wales but also run other places as well. Disabled and carer are free and if you are told at the payment booth that it is concessionary rates, as they did to us once, ask them to double check - it is definitely free!

Unfortunately, many parts of the castles such as the towers are not accessible to wheelchairs, etc.

If it isn't apparent that you are disabled all you need to do is to show your blue badge. As this is also needed to be left in your car at the car park I carry a photocopy of mine around with me.

Indie_Kid

http://www.stwater.co.uk/server.php?show=ConWebDoc.1324 Help for disabled people in eceipt of benefits with water costs. Ask your electricity supplier about similar schemes.

luxor4t

thin_wallet wrote: »

If you have a valid blue badge you can park in the short term car park at Gatwick Airport and pay the normal long term rate. You have to phone BAA parking first and pre book. When finally leaving the car park you go to the manned pay kiosk and pay whilst showing your blue badge.
It makes life so much easier as you can also call from phones in the car park and get picked up by wheelchair or buggy and taken to check-in.

Thank you for this - I 'booked' assisted boarding last year but nothing was said about help getting from the carpark to the airport.

Bossymamma

If you have or are buying a Disabled Person's Railcard or have a Blue Badge you can get a free copy of the Rough Guide to Accessible Britain. The url is a .co.uk one, starting with 'accessibleguide':-

You just need to enter your Railcard number or the issuing authority of your Blue Badge to prove entitlement.

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.

sunfleur

What a great thread! My daughter is autistic and we could be at a place for five minutes or five hours depending on her mood! When I first learned about carers going free into places it was so embarassing to ask as she is high functioning and looks and acts 'normal' most of the time so people look at you as if you are not telling the truth. However, now I am not embarassed to ask - there has only ever been one place in five years that don't do some sort of concession and that was a private stately home - other private stately homes also offer concessions. Sometimes the child will also go free or get a concession but mostly I find that the carer goes free so for us we pay for one child and one adult and one adult goes free. It really helps my child get a lot of enjoyment visiting places of interest as she soaks everything up. She does tend to flit to this or that quite quickly but with there being two of us with her one of us can have a leisurely stroll around while the other looks after our daughter and vice-versa.

Places we have had a carer get in free are: Hampton Court Palace, Legoland (plus exit pass), Tower of London, National Trust (I and daughter are members and dh uses the extra carers pass for the year), lots of other places in London. Also The Sage, Gateshead for a concert, Seven Stories (book place for children in Newcastle), Wetland Wildfowl Centres - it's a good idea to buy children's yearly passes to places like the last two I mention here as it is way cheaper to get these for them then one parent/carer will always go free and you only have to find the entrance fee for the second adult that is if you visit a particular place alot like we do. Also Centre for Life Museum in Newcastle.

Really there are too many places to mention but I just ask - I'm not embarassed if they say no. In the Summer I generally have my carers letter or my daughters DLA form (copies) with me or a letter that her Paediatrician gave us but hardly anyone ever asks to see them. They usually realise once they talk to my daughter and by the way she flaps her arms about that she is different to other children. Once they know that your child has a disability most places are usually soooo helpful too.

Another great place we went that was well worth it was Portsmouth Historic Dock, Portsmouth and Hartlepool Historic Marina (Hartlepool) carers went free at both places.

I don't shop that much at Tesco now so don't collect lots of vouchers but we also used a lot of these over the past five years on days out and we ended up paying for one adult and one child with those and one adult going free as the carer. We have been to so many places for so little it has been amazing.

portlandboy

Bossymamma wrote: »

If you have or are buying a Disabled Person's Railcard or have a Blue Badge you can get a free copy of the Rough Guide to Accessible Britain. The url is a .co.uk one, starting with 'accessibleguide':-

You just need to enter your Railcard number or the issuing authority of your Blue Badge to prove entitlement.

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.

I'm not sure what "extra" help you get when travelling with a Disabled Persons Railcard but it is the same price (£26) as a "Family Railcard" which allows up to 4 children and 2 adults to travel at a dicounted rate. If you have a disabled person travelling with the family this option could work out cheaper still and the staff will still provde the same assistance if you inform them of your journey.

shykins

loads of interestin info here

re the gatwick parking - i asked about this last year and was told no that wasnt the case anymore as all the buses were now accessable. who knows which is true

when i book holidays/flights etc i always ask for assistance, that way u dont have to walk the sometimes long distances to the gates and also u usually get seats with more room (not always tho)

u can get a discount on your council tax if u have a room that has been adapted for your needs. we installed a downstairs toilet for me to use and they granted us a discount. also the fire service will come install alarms etc for you free of charge

having just been to a National Trust place not only do u get carers in free but u get free use of a scooter - u may have to prebook them in busy periods tho

like many others i always ask, tho when i asked merlin i was told i culdnt get a free carers ticket so paid full tesco voucher price for us all, now seems i was told wrong so bear in mind it always pays to double check!!

thanks everyone look forward to hearing more