Fibromyalgia blue badge

skater_kat

Hi does anyone here have fibro/ME/CFS and have a blue badge?

my partner has fibro and has good days and bad days. She can walk unaided so does not have mobility problems in the literal sense. i don't think she would qualify for PIP having read the descriptors.

the problem is that walking to places completely wears her out. so she will be exhausted if we have to walk to get somewhere, so we drive everywhere and park as close as possible. she can walk around a supermarket for example but doing that might mean she spends the whole of the next day totally wiped out.

if we drive anywhere more than an hour she has to lie down in the back so we have to share the driving if we go anywhere out of town.

i was wondering whether having a blue badge might help her get out and about more as she would not have to worry so much about how far she will need to walk and what the consequences will be. i don't know if this situation would meet the blue badge criteria so i would like to know if other ME/CFS/fibro people have a similar experience or issue.

thanks

Mojisola

skater_kat wrote: »

my partner has fibro and has good days and bad days. She can walk unaided so does not have mobility problems in the literal sense. i don't think she would qualify for PIP having read the descriptors.

If you have a fluctuating illness, it's important to point out that you can't carry out the activity described:

safely
to an acceptable standard
repeatedly
in a reasonable time period.

If you can't, then a higher scoring descriptor should apply to you.

https://www.adviceguide.org.uk/wales/benefits_w/benefits_sick_or_disabled_people_and_carers_ew/benefits_personal_independence_payment_e/benefits_the_pip_assessment_e/pip_if_your_condition_fluctuates.htm

System

we drive everywhere and park as close as possible. she can walk around a supermarket for example but doing that might mean she spends the whole of the next day totally wiped out.

I'm sorry but I fail to see how a blue badge is going to help using the example you give. If walking around the supermarket lays her up for a complete day then not walking the 30 yards from a normal parking space to the supermarket entrance is not going to help her. She will still be walking about 500 yards within the shop. It sounds more that a wheelchair is needed more than anything rather than a blue badge to save a few yards

elmer

The criteria to award Blue Badges now is"unable or virtually unable to walk" with a maximum distance of 100 metres allowed

Mojisola

skater_kat wrote: »

the problem is that walking to places completely wears her out. so she will be exhausted if we have to walk to get somewhere, so we drive everywhere and park as close as possible. she can walk around a supermarket for example but doing that might mean she spends the whole of the next day totally wiped out.

I'm in much the same situation - when my OH is with me, he drops me off close to where we're going and then I find somewhere to sit while he parks the car.

It does sound as if !!!!!!'s suggestion of a wheelchair would be of more use, especially for days out. You can borrow a wheelchair from the Red Cross to give one a try-out. Another alternative is a rollator with a seat - if the occasional sit-down would extend her stamina.

Starting to use a walking aid can be a difficult psychological step to take - most people resist it until they realise how much they're missing out on life by not using one.

lemontart

I have me and have a blue badge - but rarely go far alone as cannot walk far anyway and use wheel chair at times and motabilty scooter too dependant on situation. I cannot self propel far due to me and arthritis in wrist and need help to get motabilty scooter in and out of vehicle.

But without these aids I would be virtually house bound.

ingey.uk

elmer wrote: »

The criteria to award Blue Badges now is"unable or virtually unable to walk" with a maximum distance of 100 metres allowed

Where I live in hampshire it dosnt seme to be the case if you are over 65 or morbidly obese (I'm a heavy man with myself) you get a blue badge no problem trying to park in a disabled space is a nightmare.

Ps my wife is the blue badge holder

This is nothing about fibromyalgia just a general observation

Rodders53

Yes, of course, some Fibro sufferers qualify for a BB. Others don't but it is a highly variable condition from one person to another (and one that seems to only get worse over time in my experience).

Your partner should consider borrowing a scooter from the supermarket to do the shopping rather than walking all round the store?

Or if you can afford it buy a small mobility scooter that will dismantle and fit in the boot to use. (Although that may prove hard for a fibro sufferer to do, in which case an electric hoist would be an option - although expensive!)

Good Luck.

rogerblack

elmer wrote: »

The criteria to award Blue Badges now is"unable or virtually unable to walk" with a maximum distance of 100 metres allowed

I don't actually believe this is correct. - speaking only of the BB criteria, and not the PIP/DLA passporting.
Recently it was changed to 'virtually unable or unable to walk'. From 'unable to walk or has considerable difficulty walking'.

Unfortunately, while DLA says 'unable to walk, or his ability to walk out of doors is so limited, as regards the distance over which or the speed at which or the length of time for which or the manner in which he can make progress on foot without severe discomfort, that he is virtually unable to walk'.

The blue badge regulations say 'a permanent and substantial disability or a temporary and substantial disability which renders the person unable to walk or virtually unable to walk.'

The bare 'virtually unable to walk' is a much, much harder test than the 'virtually unable to walk' test of DLA. With all the hedging around the DLA test, it's arguably closer to the original wording 'considerable difficulty walking'.

This means it's a very, very different legislative test than DLA - and much of the caselaw does not apply.
'Without severe discomfort' - or 'safely/repeatedly/in a reasonable period' do not come into it.

In principle, this is somewhat mitigated by both the fact that this is a harder test than PIP/DLA - so in principle one should already be entitled - and the Equality Act and human rights act also speak to the interpretation of the law.

rock_queen

There's no harm in applying for one or applying for PIP either. I have ME and have mobility issues, some days not so bad but others are horrific. If you get PIP you are automatically entitled to blue badge, well you are here anyway.

rogerblack

rock_queen wrote: »

There's no harm in applying for one or applying for PIP either. I have ME and have mobility issues, some days not so bad but others are horrific. If you get PIP you are automatically entitled to blue badge, well you are here anyway.

I quite agree.
PIP regulations are such that in some ways they are more favorable than DLA for people with fluctuating conditions.
Firstly - if you can't do a thing on more than half the days, you can't do it at all.
Secondly - if you can't do it to an acceptable standard, repeatedly, safely and most importantly within twice the time of a normal person - you can't do it.

This claws back some of the changes that at first glance seem less generous than DLA.
DLA used to have a sort-of-consensus that if you could walk 40 or 50 yards without 'severe discomfort', you were entitled. (there was no hard line in law).

However, this could be at really quite ridiculously slow speeds according to some.

With PIP, in comparison, there is a route to PIP for those that cannot move 20m at half the speed of a normal person.
This for example is pretty much an automatic qualifier for anyone that uses a walking frame, or just walks slowly due to their disability (and cannot go at a normal speed if given an unpowered wheelchair)