Blue Badge Renewal

GlasweJen

Richie-from-the-Boro wrote: »

- no a 404 is a passport to Motability or a free tax disk from the DVLA
- a 1500 is an instant passport to anything in benefit terms you might ever wish for
- believe me you never ever want a DS1500

DS1500 is for terminally ill with less than 6 months to live. Ironically you get fast tracked through the system and handed a blue badge when you really are in no state to use it, mine got used once in the 5 months I was on special rules and it was the night I got my call and we couldn't find anywhere to park at Asda (mum was running in to get me a new t-shirt cos I'd thrown up on the one I was wearing with the nerves).

sheeps68

I'm afraid I had a similar issue I'm afraid. Applied for badge with my proof of high rate DLA so should be automatic and no issue. I got a written receipt too but then the waiting began. My badge expired and I called to be told dont worry I could still use my expired badge in my authority as there was a delay. OK that meant I could shop locally but couldn't go to work as that was a different borough, or catch a train as different borough again.
I called my MP in a panic as to what I could do. I work for a neighbouring local authority and could only park in a place I could access my office with a valid blue badge so huge problem.
MP was great and strangely I had my badge in less than a week.

BobQ

iceblue wrote: »

I have a grouse about Blue Badges. My elderly mother, now 85, has had one for 6 years. The council send no reminders about expiry, but I had diarised and applied 9 weeks before expiry, in excess of the stipulated 8 weeks. I paid extra to have the application signed for.

Having reached 8 weeks and had no response, and after checking that the mail had indeed been signed for, I rang the council office and was told that they were behind. An occupation therapist would have to speak to my mother, this would not happen for a week or so beyond expiry date, and if approved, the badge would then take a further 10-14 days to get printed.

I think this is appalling. If I had not rung them, Mum would not have (and has not had) even the courtesy of a note explaining this backlog, or apologising for the necessary and now unavoidable inconvenience for best part of a month of being without the badge. You cannot display an expired badge with "application being processed". Once it has expired, they told me (and it now has), that's it. Unless and until they decide to issue another.

Anyone else had this sort of experience or is it just here?

My aunt had exactly the same experience. Forunately for her the council went into acceleration mode when they got a letter from her MP pointing out that this is just the sort of mess that gets highlighted in the Daily Mail as bungling incompetence. Two days later she got an appointment the next week, an apology, and a letter extending the validity of the existing badge.

Of course this just meant my aunt jumped the queue. You are right it is a disgrace. The simple solution is give existing badge holders an extension for one month.

Spamfree_2

moose1982 wrote: »

It was noted on the website of my local council that they are behind. Some towns will accept the expired ones, some won't, so probably best to contact the town hall of anywhere that you'll be visiting to find out what their rules are.

My local council has said that the reason for being behind is a lack of trained personnel who can carry out the examinations.

Of the overwhelming number of people applying for them?

moose1982

Spamfree wrote: »

Of the overwhelming number of people applying for them?

It doesn't matter if 1 person is applying, or 1 million, the local council will know when each renewal is due, add a few for new applications and that should be roughly how many people need to go through the examination process. When they know how many renewals and applications they are likely to receive, they could then work out how many trained staff they would need.

Maybe...

BobQ

moose1982 wrote: »

It doesn't matter if 1 person is applying, or 1 million, the local council will know when each renewal is due, add a few for new applications and that should be roughly how many people need to go through the examination process. When they know how many renewals and applications they are likely to receive, they could then work out how many trained staff they would need.

Maybe...

These assessments are being undertaken by private companies Surely the councils checked with these firms before giving them these very profitable contracts- or did they just take theor word for it like the G4S fiasco?

I think its more likely that reducing staff in local councils has slowed the process down.

Richie-from-the-Boro

Under the 1970 act the DfT was responsible for the legislation, the Local Authorities merely assessed, administered and enforced the Blue Badge scheme. Applications for a BB at that time and up to this year were largely self-assessed.

In Feb last year a programme of reforms measures were taken to tackle fraud and misuse. Under this new scheme self assessment is out. There are in essence two groups those who are [DLAHRM & discretionary] and are not [independent mobility assessment ] automatically entitled, this independent mobility assessment carried out by an OT or Physio would then be considered by a panel. Now the LA not the DfT is responsible and accountable.

Those applicants that are in the non-discretionary group I can understand a process of a minimum of 4 to 6 weeks, why its taking so long for the discretionary HRDLA applicants to be dealt with I've no idea but it will be to do with the usual bureaucratic inefficiencies of Local Government and the low priority as they see it of BB administration. Add to that the usual slowness of the Borough Solicitor / Borough Treasurer / Equalities Impact Assessment / Strategic Risk Management Issues / and god knows how many other internal and external groups that need to be 'consulted' you will begin to see why as government suggested these things should have been taken care of last year.

Two things, thing one :

- in the short medium and long run the new Blue Badge will be better for those truly deserving of one

•Secure printing
•Central database for statistical information
•On-line eligibility checker
•A secure, web-based service available over Government Connect (GCSx)
•Help prevent fraud, making the badge harder to copy, forge and alter
•Enable more effective enforcement
•Enable effective control of badges reported as lost or stolen
•Improve the quality and durability of the badge

Two things, thing two :

- no one, not one person ever should ever be able to 'skip' the assessment. Those in the entitled and discressionary HRDLA have already passed the assessment to a much higher bar than the O/T Physio .. .. that of the law and legislation. Those individuals in the non- discretionary group should all be made subject to the assessment, and those LA's that are clearly still allowing through the old self-assessment with a GP's letter should sanctioned and made to follow the DfT’s good practice which was distributed last year and again the year otherwise the disabled will have imposed upon them an even more heavy handed and expensive government process to rout out fraud.

grummps

Richie-from-the-Boro wrote: »

In Feb last year a programme of reforms measures were taken to tackle fraud
and misuse. Under this new scheme self assessment is out. There are in
essence two groups those who are [DLAHRM & discretionary] and are not
[independent mobility assessment ] automatically entitled, this independent
mobility assessment carried out by an OT or Physio would then be considered by a
panel. Now the LA not the DfT is responsible and accountable.

- no one, not one person ever should ever be able to 'skip' the assessment.
QUOTE]

The DLA HRM route will cease as from next year, that is unless the applicant is under 16 and over 65 as at April 2013.

Those that previously held DLA HRM will find that they will then have to use a wheelchair or other such aids as well as not being able to walk up to 50 metres to qualify for a BB.

Those that simply find it almost impossible to walk that distance and don't use or haven't been authorised for, an aid, will now have to have a mental illness as well that leaves the claimant unable to cope in planning a journey.

Seems that the 'discretionary' route from next year will account for a considerable number of claimants that previously held a BB due to receiving DLA HRM.

If they can't get it right now, how on earth are they going to cope when PIP comes into force - maybe ATOS could help out by assessing them instead of council run contractors.

Richie-from-the-Boro

- the loss of DLAHRM does not take away your right to apply for a BB
- so loss of DLAHRM means apply to your LA and go through the assessment process
- those truly in need of a Blue Badge should get one, the criteria is administered by OT's etc not ATOS [STRIKE]monkeys[/STRIKE]
- here's the 2010 IA

The above applies now / when PIP comes in / and when UC is rolled out.

I agree with the problem with scoring points with Activity 11 - Moving Around descriptors. It will have huge ramifications for the disabled in general and Blue Badge & Motability vehicles in particular.

BobQ

Richie-from-the-Boro wrote: »

Under the 1970 act the DfT was responsible for the legislation, the Local Authorities merely assessed, administered and enforced the Blue Badge scheme. Applications for a BB at that time and up to this year were largely self-assessed.

They were not largely self assessed. The assessment was carried out based on the advice of the GP. The natural concern was that GPs did not like to say no or favoured some patients compared with another.

Those applicants that are in the non-discretionary group I can understand a process of a minimum of 4 to 6 weeks, why its taking so long for the discretionary HRDLA applicants to be dealt with I've no idea but it will be to do with the usual bureaucratic inefficiencies of Local Government ......

Your comments are confused. There is surely no reason for the non-discretionary group to wait six weeks when the evidence of a disability already exists in a well documented form through the payment of DLA and the LA has no discretion to exercise. Clearly it will take longer to process applications in the discretionary category since there is a need to gather more evidence and exercise discretion though the independent assessment.

But I do not think this is the point. We are talking about renewals. There is no excuse for a local authority to say that it will take 6 weeks to process a renewal and then taking 10+ weeks. In my aunt's case the assessment confirmed that she was entitled to a BB but they only sent her the renewal forms six weeks to the day before expiry,stating that it would take at least six weeks to process, thereby ensuring that the new badge would not arrive before the old one expired. This to me is unacceptable whatever the outcome. I do not blame the staff processing the applications for this situation but those on the inflated salaries who manage the allocation of resources in the councils.

........no one, not one person ever should ever be able to 'skip' the assessment. Those in the entitled and discressionary HRDLA have already passed the assessment to a much higher bar than the O/T Physio .. .. that of the law and legislation. Those individuals in the non- discretionary group should all be made subject to the assessment, and those LA's that are clearly still allowing through the old self-assessment .....

Apart from the fact that you have yet again confused discretionary and non-discretionary, this is frankly quite pompous given that nobody in the thread has questioned the need for independent assessment!

Independent assessment makes good sense to avoid the abuses you mention and if properly resourced is worth doing to prevent abuse. But the present situation is that there is a presumption that anyone renewing a badge has lied to get it in the first place and must wait for an under-resourced process to run its course, when in reality a significant proportion of the applicants will remain entitled to a BB based on well documented medical evidence.