Refused Blue Badge- help

SingleSue

Oh no, I didn't take it as a criticism (maybe my reply was a little brusque - I blame being hassled by children all day).

Just to correct though, I do not have a bad leg, I have arthritis affecting my lower spine, knees, feet, hands and shoulders as a result of HMS/EDS plus crushed discs in my spine and partial dislocating shoulders, hips and knees.

I do limp though, always have done due to a pelvic malformation, made worse by hitting a patch of diesel while on my mo-ped at age 17 and doing an impression of superman before hitting the road rather hard! :rotfl:

I suppose there will come a time when I will accept it but for now, I am not quite at that stage. Plus, I see others who are far more disabled who are turned down for either or both DLA and BB, so think...what chance do I have? And what is the point in even trying? (Can you tell I don't handle rejection well? )

I come from a make do family, if something is difficult, we tend to find other ways around it...and that is what I have been doing. Only when I cannot do that, will I finally accept it I think.

I'm a stubborn begger too! :rotfl:

birkee

singleSue

The bad leg was just a metaphor to indicate my point. It saves you having to tell the post exactly what your problem is.
Get that Blue Badge......you don't HAVE to use it, but it will get the formalities out the way for when you DO need it.

saving_pennies

Hi Sue,

I can understand the difficulty in acceptance. It's a biggie isn't it? And being stubborn - I can be my own worse enemy sometimes, struggling on without asking for help or accepting help that is offered etc. But I have learnt that i don't have to make my life harder than it is, I can go easy on myself.

From what you have described it sounds like you must be in pain and must struggle at times. Living with such disabilities is tough so why not give yoursef a break and get the BB just so it is there for when you decide that: 'for today I need to make things easier for myself'. You don't have to use it everyday. You say you need a wider space when you park so you can get in and out of your car, well a BB will help as the disabled bays are wider.

It is true that the benefit system is turning down some genuine claimants but on reconsideration or appeal the assessors can see who genuinely needs it - and you do! It isn't so much about them rejecting you, more them not fully understanding the impact of disabilities on your daily life, care needs and mobility. Sometimes they are not good at listening/reading so people have to restate it again.

take good care,

Lhallie

Is there any point of me applying for a badge with degenerative disc disease?

Brassedoff

pwales wrote: »

[/SIZE][/U][/B]

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

Careful, you'll have people running :-) to form a queue and bash you for those comments!

Richie-from-the-Boro

HiYa Brassed :beer:

- I thought we would see old threads being dredged up when I watched the late news last night

Brassedoff

Lhallie wrote: »

Is there any point of me applying for a badge with degenerative disc disease?

Do you get HRM? If so yes,
If not, do you have difficulty in walking and can have that confirmed by whatever process they use in your area? If you pass the local test, I assume you can. If not, no.

My local authority will do their applications on-line from the 1st Jan 12 and the following criteria

Eligibility

Eligible without assessment

Anyone who meets one of the following criteria is eligible for the issue of a Blue Badge without further assessment:

1. receives the higher rate mobility component of Disability Living Allowance.
2. receives a War Pensioner's Mobility Supplement.
3. is a registered blind person under the National Assistance Act 1948.
4. has been awarded a benefit (giving rise to a lump sum at tariffs 1-8 inclusive) under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS) and has also been certified by the Service Personnel and Veterans agency as having a permanent and substantial disability which causes inability to walk or very considerable difficulty in walking.
5. Eligible following assessment

Those who do not meet one of the criterion above, but meet one of the following criterion, may be eligible for a Blue Badge:

1. has a severe disability in both upper limbs, regularly drives a motor vehicle, but has difficulty operating parking meters.
2. has a permanent and substantial disability which means you are unable to walk or have very considerable difficulty in walking.
3. children under 3 years of age who, because of a specific medical condition, needs to travel with bulky medical equipment or needs to be close to a vehicle for emergency medical treatment.

If we feel a face-to-face assessment is needed, we will contact you within 28 days of you being referred to the service.

A face-to-face assessment usually takes 45 minutes, but may take longer if it is complex. You will need to bring proof of prescriptions, photographic proof of identification and your usual walking aids.

Future changes to Blue Badges

From January 2012 the Department for Transport is making changes to Blue Badges.

The maximum fee a local council can charge for a Blue Badge will increase from £2 to £10. Warwickshire County Council will charge £10 for all Blue Badges that expire on or after 1st January 2012.

• The design of the Blue Badge will change to aid enforcement and make it harder to tamper with, copy or forge.
• You will be able to apply for a badge online through Directgov.
• You'll still be able to apply directly to us for a Blue Badge

Brassedoff

Richie-from-the-Boro wrote: »

HiYa Brassed :beer:

- I thought we would see old threads being dredged up when I watched the late news last night

Richie, classic. Love it!

SingleSue

I still didn't apply for that blue badge either (or DLA).....got as far as asking for the form and it has just sat on the computer desk ever since.

Have to use a wheelchair at times now too, can I go back to April this year again, it was just crutches then!

Wannabedebtfree

I have disc degeneration in the thoracic spine and disc bulges in the lumber spine. I'm on the maximum dose of pain killers and waiting for the pain clinic appointments to try the injections. I've often thought about applying for a blue badge but because I can walk, albeit slow and doubled up at times, I think that there are other people out there worse than me.

Since my mum fell over and broke her shoulder, hip and pelvis and can't walk further than 10 feet with her frame and I'm now pushing her around in a wheelchair, I've filled in the form for her to see if she'll be entitled for the simple fact I can't get her in and out of the car and into a chair in a normal parking space, at the moment I drive around a car park looking for suitable spaces to use but this makes her feel worse when it takes 10-15 minutes to get in and out of the car with people looking on or worse coming up and saying you going to be moving in a moment

I'll stop moaning now....

Happy New Year to you all. I hope and pray that 2012 will be a better one than 2011 was.