Can't Get A Blue Badge

margaret_3

A relative of mine gets attendance allowance and this was sufficient for him to get the blue badge. He took his form/book to the social work dept. and that was that.
Mind you,things might be different here in Scotland.

millie

A friend of my fathers has a blue badge, he has a heart condition, but not that serious, it does not appear to stop him doing much from what I can see. He has a large touring caravan which with the help of his wife (who is only small about 5 foot) he manages to push manually off his driveway onto the road to attach to the car. He also goes on organised rambles, on public foothpaths, and over fields and stiles. He apparently had his form filled out by his doctor with no trouble.

NAR

There lies the problem Millie. Someone who doesn't really deserve a blue card gets one because his doctor is quite happy to fill out a form; whereas a deserving case can't get one because their doctor is a bo****ks. Sorry but he deserves to be called that.

Ted_Hutchinson

millie wrote:

A friend of my fathers has a blue badge, he has a heart condition, but not that serious, it does not appear to stop him doing much from what I can see. He has a large touring caravan which with the help of his wife (who is only small about 5 foot) he manages to push manually off his driveway onto the road to attach to the car. He also goes on organised rambles, on public foothpaths, and over fields and stiles. He apparently had his form filled out by his doctor with no trouble.

While it may be the case that this individual doesn't deserve or need a blue badge there are many folk whose conditions are variable and who should be encouraged to exercise outdoors when they are able and indeed take as active a holiday as they can manage. Staying indoors, not exercising, not meeting other people is a recipe for increasing pain, depression and a further worsening of the condition.

The doctor certainly is the best person to comment on his general ability to walk and the doctor surely will know if most of the time one is virtually unable to walk outdoors without severe discomfort. The level of pain some folk have to endure is something those who don't experience it simply cannot appreciate. While it is true that pain management has improved there remain cases where nothing can be done.

Getting as much exercise as you can manage and indeed getting outside into the sunshine is something everyone with a painful chronic condition should be encouraged to do and snide comments from people who are unaware of the full medical circumstances do nothing to help the situation.

NAR

If you're saying I made the snide remarks, I take great exception. Read my post again. For all we know he could be in the same golf club or masonic lodge as the doctor and will therefore have no problem getting his form signed. That is not the point I was making.
I wasn't particularly commenting on him having a blue card, but rather the lady's doctor who refused to sign the form so she could have one for the few years she has left on this earth..

millie

I rather think the snide remark reference was directed at me. I have been on these rambles with this person myself and know that there is no problem with mobility and walking. He is no more exhausted than the rest of us, and these are 5 or 6 mile rambles. In fact he is cockahoop about the blue badge and makes sure every body knows he does not have to pay for his parking. while everyone else is hunting around for somewhere reasonably priced to park their car.

kabman

Thanks for all your replies.

My mother unfortunately, will not change her doctor. She has been with him for 18 years and even buys him a Christmas present every year (which is ridiculous). I have spoke to her about changing but it goes in one ear and out of the other. I'm only trying to get her the blue badge so she doesn't have to walk far from the shops to the car.

I think it is a no win situation.

Ted_Hutchinson

Some local authorities have their own medical assessor for assessing a persons ability to walk. It may be possible therefore if you explain the current situation for another Dr to be asked to make the assessment on behalf of the local authority. It would be worth asking your local authority blue badge administrator. They must be aware that some doctors aren't co-operating with their patients while others may seem not to be playing fair with the system.

NAR

millie wrote:

I rather think the snide remark reference was directed at me.

Doesn't really matter Millie whether it was you or me. Just a pity that someone who does make useful input on a lot of threads hasn't the b***s to apologise when they are in the wrong. People should read what is written and take it at face value or request clarification - not jump to their own conclusions!! :mad:

Ted_Hutchinson

NAR wrote:

Doesn't really matter Millie whether it was you or me. Just a pity that someone who does make useful input on a lot of threads hasn't the b***s to apologise when they are in the wrong. People should read what is written and take it at face value or request clarification - not jump to their own conclusions!! :mad:

I would apologise if I thought I had been wrong.
If you read my post carefully you will see I started by quoting the post I was replying to so it was your misreading of the post which was at fault. I wasn't getting at you and you should have realised that.

With regards the post I was replying to I started by saying

While it may be the case that this individual doesn't deserve or need a blue badge

making it reasonably clear that Millie may well be right but in general I believe it is impossible for anyone, apart from the health professionals, to know what someone is suffering when walking outdoors. People with MS, ME, CFS, FMS PPS do go into remission and while they may for long periods be wheelchair bound at other times they are able to walk about relatively normally. The DWP recognise this and don't regard short periods of remission as grounds for removing benefit, it would be nice if members of the public were as reasonable.

I am not condoning abuse of the BB system and personally feel post 11 on this thread should be removed as it is either a scam (charging people money for information freely available in the public domain) or it is encouraging abuse of the system.

If anyone has real evidence of DWP fraud then it should be reported
http://www.targetingbenefitfraud.gov.uk/
however as most people are struggling to get the benefits they are entitled to and the DWP report the lowest level of fraud ever I personally feel you should check your facts with the person concerned before proceeding.

Similarly with BB abuse. Perhaps if you didn't allow this individual to flaunt his abuse of the system he wouldn't consider it socially acceptable to boast about it. Rather than whinge here or indeed make snide remarks, perhaps Millie would be best advised to make your feelings known to the individual concerned.