Walking criteria for a Blue Badge

luminated

I've had considerable difficulty with my mobility for a number of years and throughout this year have I have been dropped off, and picked up by my wife, on regular occasions to get to where I need to be.

So after six months of thinking 'shall I apply', or not, I asked my GP's opinion who said yes I would get considerable benefit from one and he would readily complete/sign whatever form was needed.

So I called my local council this morning who went through the criteria. I haven't got HRM, or even LRM, when I had my DLA decision letter some weeks ago. I was only awarded LRC and my GP felt it should of been MRC and LRM and I am appealing.

The council also asked me to compile information and call them back. This included my medical conditions - when diagnosed - how it affected my walking, my prescribed medication and lastly how far I can walk and on which I could do with your help? She said I need to measure a distance (yards or metres) which I should walk and time it. Any further than a football field and no badge.

So I wonder whether there is any information on the web as to the exact criteria they are using regarding distance and acceptable, or unacceptable time.

HELP - please and I will be very grateful :j

rogerblack

luminated wrote: »

She said I need to measure a distance (yards or metres) which I should walk and time it. Any further than a football field and no badge.

I would assume that they're basing it on the DLA criteria.
http://www.benefitsnow.co.uk/dmakers/virtuallyunable.asp may be of use.

Richie-from-the-Boro

The old [ before 2011 ] custom & practice was a permanent and substantial disability, which causes inability to walk or very considerable difficulty in walking a reasonable distance [ approximately 100 metres ].

The new custom & practice [ obviously modelled on the requirements of the DLA / HRM model ] is to use an assessment centres to decide your walking distance capability. [ see the URL Rodger posted ]

So in the first instance what is you permanent & substantial disability that causes your inability to walk, or very considerable difficulty in walking ?, so the walking must first stem from a physical cause and then the distance you can safely walk.

However the DOT's current guidance to LA's [ does not say 100 meters ] suggest a badge can be refused if an individual can walk only 65 metres. I think this distance is ridiculous as a criteria as its less than the length of the car park to get to the shops in the first instance.

The current status if you read the threads here is that:

- all local areas / regions behave differently
- some are hard as nails
- others are still ' easy as '
- but there is an inevitable relentless move countrywide to hard as nails and the upcoming 2012 criteria.

None of what I have written above takes account of behavioural problems transporting medical equipment / need to reach a car in an emergency / upper limb / inability to travel by public transport.

My advice - do it - do it now - work on 50 meters - and hope you are in one of the ' cushy ' areas still using discretionary processes.

Best of luck

luminated

Thank you so much Roger and Richie I am so grateful you have given the time to help me. The girl I spoke to was pleasant enough but clearly was working to a set method - 'ticking boxes' type of thing. When I feel OK later or tomorrow I will get outside and walk 50 yards and record the time it takes. But now worrying if the time will be too fast :eek:

Richie-from-the-Boro

luminated wrote: »

Thank you so much Roger and Richie I am so grateful you have given the time to help me. The girl I spoke to was pleasant enough but clearly was working to a set method - 'ticking boxes' type of thing. When I feel OK later or tomorrow I will get outside and walk 50 yards and record the time it takes. But now worrying if the time will be too fast :eek:

Just go~with~the ~flow, its the usual crap bureaucracy of any municipal monolith, most of the people concerned are probably really nice as individuals but who have to follow process . The BB is not an ATOS test its just a tick box criteria if you don't get a DLAHRM ' free pass' Most of the people are just like you and your family or me and mine, they neither love nor hate applicants, they are just clones getting through to the home time bell.

Meaning Of walk

Someone is unable to walk if they cannot use their legs for walking. A person who is bedridden or paraplegic is therefore unable to walk. A person who has a leg amputated may be unable to walk but might be enabled to walk by the use of artificial aids such as a false limb or crutches.

The test is the ability to perform the physical act of walking, not the ability to get from A to B.

- defines walk as an ordinary English word in common usage meaning to move by means of a person's legs and feet or a combination of both.
- defines it as advancing in a manner in which at least one foot is on the ground.

Virtually Unable to Walk

distance

- decisions have attempted to suggest a distance as a rule of thumb of 50 yards / metres
- speed, time and [ gait ] manner, are taken into account

Just go for it, better this year than after Jan 2012 [ish]

LadyMorticia

menher wrote: »

No you are NOT supposed to walk 50 yards and time it.

You have to record the actual distance that you can walk without having to stop due to severe discomfort.

You may only be able to walk 20 yards. On the other hand you may be able to walk 88 yards.

Once the distance and time has been confirmed you will have to describe 'how' you walk and why.

Then you will have to show why you feel severe discomfort after that distance.

There are no 'pass' limits or 'fail' limits for distance or time. Everybody is assessed according to their abilities including the manner of walking.

Finally you will have to give details of your illnesses that are causing this problem.

Then, if you are in the new system that most councils have now adopted since April, you will be tested by an OT at a medical centre to replicate what you are claiming + answer a whole load of questions. That assessment takes normally 60 mins.

Pass that lot and you get a badge for 3 years. You will be retested again under the new system for every renewal.

With my BB, I was initially turned down and then I asked for a reconsideration and then had to have an OT assessment so don't think my local council has adopted the new system yet (I do know that pretty much all reconsiderations have to have an OT assessment though).

The OT I saw didn't even ask me to walk. I was in my wheelchair as I need it when out as I can't walk very far at all.

The OT said that I was eligible for a BB but he had to check it over with his boss as he had been nice to everyone all day and wanted to be seen that he was being fair.

I got a voicemail message that afternoon to say that I had been awarded a BB for 3 years.

I was terrified when I went into the room with the OT but it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be at all.

My BB wasn't just awarded on my physical mobility problems, it was also awarded on my mental health too.

LadyMorticia

menher wrote: »

I didn't know that that was possible. Damn, must remember to add that to the list of illnesses for the renewal.

I doubt I would have got a BB on my mental health alone but it was because of my claustrophobia and anxiety disorder that the car has to be as near as possible to stop me from completely and utterly freaking out so that, coupled with my physical mobility problems, helped my case.

Careful_with_that_Axe

I had my BB two years before I ever applied for DLA. I consider myself very lucky as I had an excellent and supportive GP. From what I remember, the Council telephoned my GP who agreed a BB was merited and I got it in the post 4 days later. Shows some Councils can be sympathetic and efficient! I was so impressed, I telephoned them to thank them for processing it so quickly.

I don't know how I ever managed without it and worry that it is now linked to my DLA award, if anything goes wrong with DLA, I may find it harder to get it renewed.

LadyMorticia

I have a BB (well, will soon as I've just sent off all the paperwork) and get LRM and HRC DLA. I keep being told that I should try for HRM as my mobility has worsened alot over the past few months.

Richie-from-the-Boro

LadyMorticia wrote: »

I have a BB (well, will soon as I've just sent off all the paperwork) and get LRM and HRC DLA. I keep being told that I should try for HRM as my mobility has worsened a lot over the past few months.

Beware of the """ the past few months """

Both sides of DLA needs fluctuate both up and down on a daily / monthly basis. This is generally taken into account with each application, and the ' rule of thumb ' applied to applications is to make no substantial change until at least six months have gone by. A much better phrase to use would be """ the past year or so """ Congrats on the BB