Refused Blue Badge- help

saving_pennies

Hastobe_Katt wrote: »

I don't get DLA and have had my Blue Badge for the last 9 years. At my recent renewal the medical assessor asked why on earth I hadn't applied for DLA? I guess I had never really thought about it - I've always been independent and tried to work (with varying degrees of success) and associated benefits with unemployed.

As a consequence of the assessors comments (and my last ortho appointment where I was told I couldn't drive a manual car anymore ) I have applied for DLA. Had the assessment today so see how it goes. TBH, as long as I keep my BB, I can keep working (intermittently but enough to get by!) - the rest is a bonus

DLA is different from benefits you claim because you are unemployed. It is for the care and mobility needs and costs arising from your disability. You can claim DLA and work (you may already know this).

daska

Richie-from-the-Boro wrote: »

Its hardly been changed since the 70's, that's 40 years without any major reform.

Some LA's are diligent, with others it's a virtual give away. There are 2.5 million and rising [ disabled children under three - severely disabled HM Forces - etc ] badges chasing fewer parking places at a cost of £46 Million of which the Government claim 50% are fraudulent. Putting the price per badge issue up by 400% to pay for the improvements is just one more way of hurting the disabled.

If however it gets rid of those 50% scroungers, and the £20 million saved is ploughed back into helping the disabled I'm for it, what's the betting it just disappears back into the treasury coffers.

daska, I looked extensively about a month ago to try to find a ' roadmap ' with a job title for the ' decision maker ' but was also unable to pin down who would be the [ blue badge ] decision maker ! The nearest I got to it was a reference to an Occie [ OH - Occupational Health Advisor ]. Quite why OH would be dealing with someone without an occupation quite defeats me ! although all LA's have an Occie Health Dept.

NOTE.1. ref Blue Badge's

The original 1971 act under Section 21 of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970 is where the Blue Badge legislation started, it was taken over by the LA's from Social Services in 2006. The reason I mention this is many of the ' oh ! I've got a sore knee brigade ' are neither Chronically Sick / and / or / Disabled Persons.

NOTE.2. ref Blue Badge's

The method then an now used to verify the applicant meets the criteria is to write to the GP for info on walking distance and general medical condition. The DOT have long held the view that the GP / patient relationship means that very few GP's fail to support a patients application and that OT's / Physio's and others should relieve the GP's of this particular duty.

I understand and agree with the reasons for reform. I was just confused by birkee's comment "Seems it's only DWP can say you qualify if you get the right allowances." as I could find no reference in the documents to the DWP having this responsibility - As far as I can see it's still going to be local councils responsible for the assessment, administration and (new) setting the fee. My experience with OTs is pretty dire overall - the one I have at the moment doesn't appear to understand any kind of mobility problem that isn't entirely mechanical.

dori2o

intranicity wrote: »

I hobbled into my local council office, asked about the Blue Badge and was asked if I wanted to see someone about it.

A very nice lady came down, spoke to me and saw the state I was in, I hadn't applied for DLA or sorted out my War Pension properly at this stage. She adviced me that I really needed to apply for DLA and asked me if I had a photo, which I did, she came back 10 minutes later with a blue badge for me.....

I was later awarded HRM and Lower rate care on DLA, and later I got the War Pensioners Mobility Supp instead. I've just had to reapply for DLA, and this time i'm not eligable for anything.... But think thats more due to them refusing to save money and seeing if I appeal, which I will.

But I'm not at all surprised if you didn't get a Blue Badge just because your knee hurts, I'm sure that you're condition is far worse than that, but I think I would have also not issued you a Blue Badge if that was what you put on your application and see why if that was all that they didn't see the need to get advice from your GP.

Re-apply, but make sure that you really give a decent explanation of your disability

I didn't just put knee pain on the form, I put on the form what I said at the beginning of the first post.

pwales wrote: »

bad knee ! blue badge ! are you having a laugh! :mad:

whats next oooo i got a blister ?

come on hello real world!:mad:

I take it you didn't bother to read the first post then.

I actually sent a letter back to the BB team at the LA with a further explanation of my condition and a copy of my latest pain clinic letter.

BB was issued about a week later and is valid for 3 years. Just the DLA to sort out now.

Thanks for the replies.

saving_pennies

dori2o wrote: »

I actually sent a letter back to the BB team at the LA with a further explanation of my condition and a copy of my latest pain clinic letter.

BB was issued about a week later and is valid for 3 years. Just the DLA to sort out now.

I'm glad you now have a BB and hope it makes your life a little easier. I hope your DLA application goes smoothly - its not the easiest of forms to complete and in my experience many people have to request a reconsideration of the orginal response. If you are turned down again, then ask for reconsideration and appeal if necessary.

birkee

Yes....sorry folks!
It's the way the paperwork is presented in Solihull. They ask for the DWP form to verify that you qualify for a BB, and then further down in the small print, it says that the letter from the DWP awarding the mobility allowance will do....... That's on the forms.
Then on the notes, they mention (for people with not so clear cut conditions) that you may be asked to attend a mobility assessment with an Occupational Therapist.

Can't copy all the notes from Solihull, so I'll try and write the key features in.

Automatic qualification:-
Those on higher rate mobility component of the DLA. (DWP form DB384 or the award letter)
Those on War Pensions Mobility Supplement (Official letter from the Service Personnel and Veterans Agency)
Registered severely sight impaired (blind) (Form CV1 signed by a consultant Opthalmologist)

Elligibility subject to further assessment for mobility:-
1. YOU CANNOT WALK. Unable to take a single step, or You need to show that because of your disability, you cannot put one foot in front of the other when standing.

2. YOU ARE UNABLE TO WALK VERY FAR WITHOUT EXPERIENCING SEVERE DISCOMFORT. (The variable one)
This means that because of your disability, you experience severe pain or breathlessness when walking. External fatigue and stress may also be taken into account. Individuals who use artificial limbs must show that they experience severe discomfort when using the artificial limb.

3. THE EXERTION REQUIRED TO WALK WOULD CONSTITUTE A DANGER TO YOUR LIFE, OR WOULD LEAD TO A SERIOUS DETERIORATION IN YOUR HEALTH.
This means that you need to show that you cannot walk very far because of a danger to your health, for example, serious heart, chest or lung conditions. The serious deterioration does not need to be permanent, but it should require medical intervention for you to recover. You need to show that any danger to your health is a direct result of the physical effort required to walk.

Applicants are asked various questions about the nature of their disabilities and are required to give an estimate of their average walking ability.

You may be asked to attend a mobility assessment with an Occupational Therapist; you will then be assessed under the criteria for a Blue Badge.

Of course, this is Solihull, and may vary in other area's. As they are tightening up though, this may become the norm.

jetta_wales

It'll be interesting to see what the new badge design looks like and it's good that it will be PVC not just laminated card. It will be much harder to fraudulently produce or alter them then too and maybe we'll get a decent clock thing too not the card ones that get tatty really quick.

Hastobe_Katt

The badge I had issued last October has a kind of hieroglyphic design on it?

Our local authority has every applicant who isn't claiming HRM medically assessed. They also don't offer free parking for blue badge holders - which I wholly agree with. It's the opportunity to park FOC that makes the badges desirable - and which encourages fraud and theft.

If I didn't have my BB, I couldn't work. I need accessible parking not free parking.

birkee

Think you mean a 'hologram' component.

Yes, I'm quite prepared to pay my parking charges the same as everyone else too.
Not many free ones left anyway, near us though.

pwales_2

Hastobe_Katt wrote: »

The badge I had issued last October has a kind of hieroglyphic design on it?

Our local authority has every applicant who isn't claiming HRM medically assessed. They also don't offer free parking for blue badge holders - which I wholly agree with. It's the opportunity to park FOC that makes the badges desirable - and which encourages fraud and theft.

If I didn't have my BB, I couldn't work. I need accessible parking not free parking.

that is a spot on comment ive said it on here more times than i can remember wider accessible spaces for wheelchairs and normal closer space for the deppessed /agraphobic crowd and the bad back that comes and goes normaly plays up when a medical is due , and the bipolar crowd who are quiet ok the walk arond town all day shopping untill there form arrives on the door step then they have a melt down......there are hundreds of blue badges that should not be issued and dont start me on the adhd bb for kids

jetta_wales

I think the double yellow lines free parking is good because where a 'normal' person might go out for a days shopping and park in just one place, many disabled people will have to park in multiple places instead of just walking from one part of a town to the next and 3 one hour parking tickets are usually a fair bit mor expensive than one 3 hur ticket. Did that make sense?