Blue Badge without DLA application

Cardew

I am helping an older lady filling out her forms for a Blue Badge.

This lady has considerable difficulty walking and had a hip replacement etc.

The very helpful local office have advised that unless she is in receipt of Disability Living Allowance(DLA) they will not consider the Blue Badge application.

I have looked at the DLA forms on-line and I have little doubt that she would qualify.

However the lady is adamant she does not want to apply for DLA. She is comfortably off with more than an adequate income and does not want any form of ‘State Handout’(as she terms it)

I have suggested, to no avail, that she could get the allowance and donate it to charity.

So the question: Is it possible in any way to get a Blue Badge without DLA.

P.S.
Please don’t explain she is entitled DLA and should take it etc etc. She is of the ‘old school’ who believes that the Social Security system is widely abused and will not take a benefit she doesn’t need or want to get a Blue Badge that she does require.

cattie

I believe it is possible to get a blue badge without dla as I've known 1 or 2 people in my borough get one.

A supporting letter from gp & or consulant can help a lot when applying for one.

Good luck.

shazrobo

i think you need to be in receipt of dla at the highest rate for mobility to qualify for a blue badge.
i have two sons who receive the lowest rate mobility, but cant get a blue badge, even tho i really struggle wen i have both sons out at the same time with me

Ted_Hutchinson

You may qualify if you:

• receive the higher rate of the Mobility Component of the Disability Living Allowance
• receive a War Pensioner's Mobility Supplement
• use a motor vehicle supplied by a government health department
• are a registered blind person
• have severe disability in both arms and drive a motor vehicle regularly but cannot turn the steering wheel by hand even if that wheel is fitted with a turning knob
• have a permanent and substantial disability which causes inability to walk or very considerable difficulty in walking

From 15 October 2007, eligibility will be extended to include:

• people who have severe disability in both arms and drive a motor vehicle regularly and are unable to operate, or have considerable difficulty in operating, all or some types of parking meter
• children under the age of two who, due to a specific medical condition, need to travel with bulky medical equipment or be close to a vehicle for emergency medical treatment.

The reason those with lower rate mobility do not qualify is that they are physically able to walk, they just need supervision and guidance to do so safely.

Cardew

Ted_Hutchinson wrote: »

You may qualify if you:

• receive the higher rate of the Mobility Component of the Disability Living Allowance
• receive a War Pensioner's Mobility Supplement
• use a motor vehicle supplied by a government health department
• are a registered blind person
• have severe disability in both arms and drive a motor vehicle regularly but cannot turn the steering wheel by hand even if that wheel is fitted with a turning knob
• have a permanent and substantial disability which causes inability to walk or very considerable difficulty in walking

Ted,
The last bullet point i.e. "have a permanent and substantial disability which causes inability to walk or very considerable difficulty in walking"
would describe her condition and as I said earlier I suspect she would get DLA.

However the local office say the only proof of her condition they will accept is the grant of DLA.

Surely there must be some mechanism for assessing her condition -doctor/consultant reports etc) - without having to apply for an allowance.

RedBern

the local authority issue the Blue Badge - and if the person applying does not qualify for the DLA then a letter is sent to the GP asking him to confirm that the person is unable to walk long distances. When filling out the form you have to state how far you can walk unaided - and obviously if you can walk 200 yards then your wouldn't qualify. Just ask for a copy of the form from the local office - good luck.

Cardew

RedBern wrote: »

the local authority issue the Blue Badge - and if the person applying does not qualify for the DLA then a letter is sent to the GP asking him to confirm that the person is unable to walk long distances. When filling out the form you have to state how far you can walk unaided - and obviously if you can walk 200 yards then your wouldn't qualify. Just ask for a copy of the form from the local office - good luck.

She has the form - that is the one I am helping her fill out.

The local authority are adamant that she must apply for DLA before they will even consider the application. They need to see in writing the decision about DLA.

So she can't get to the stage where "if the person applying does not qualify for the DLA then a letter is sent to the GP asking him to confirm that the person is unable to walk long distances"

Sagaris

My Mum has a blue badge and does not get DLA - I think we had to take the form for her GP to fill in and sign? She can't walk any further than 10 - 20 yeards without being in severe pain and has a spinal problem (operated on last year which didn't improve matters)
Can you ring her doctor's receptionist on Monday and ask them - they must have some across this before?

RedBern

can't understand that - it is none of their business whether she applies for DLA or not!

Have a look at the council site for the area you live - If it were me - I'd send the form along - there's a space to complete for the name of the GP - and include a letter from the GP supporting the application.

The local authority have no right to insist anyone apply for any benefit.

I'd write a supporting letter with the application - and wait for it to be refused. Then appeal. Also try your local councillor to intervene on your behalf. (and then, if necessary, your MP).

Ted_Hutchinson

The Blue Badge Scheme: Local Authority Guidance

4.8 It is envisaged that badges will generally only be issued to people who are able to walk only with excessive labour and at an extremely slow pace or with excessive pain. Applicants should generally be physically incapable of visiting shops, public buildings and other places unless allowed to park close to their destination. Their degree of impairment should be at the level required for the higher rate mobility component of DLA – see Appendix D for list of criteria. In all cases, entitlement depends on the applicant's difficulty in walking and considerations such as difficulty in carrying parcels are not to be taken into account.

4.9 The fact that a walking aid is or is not used, or medication is taken, may be relevant to the eventual decision, but these alone should not determine whether or not a badge is issued.

4.10 Medical conditions such as asthma, autism, psychological/behavioural problems, Crohn's disease/incontinent conditions and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (M.E.) are not in themselves a qualification for a badge. People with these conditions may be eligible for a badge but only if they are unable to physically walk or have very considerable difficulty in walking, in addition to their condition. The final decision is for local authorities to make, and they should ensure that an assessment is made by a medical practitioner where they have difficulty in determining whether a person is eligible.

4.11 Some form of medical opinion is needed in most cases. The current practice of using an applicant's GP to verify that an individual meets the criteria for a blue badge is regarded as an unsatisfactory arrangement for both the GP and the administrators of the scheme. The main argument against this approach is that it compromises the doctor/patient relationship. A Cabinet Office report "Making a difference: reducing burdens on general practitioners (GPs)" published in June 2002 recommended that GPs be taken out of the loop. Appendix C gives details of how to view the report.

4.12 The DfT strongly recommends that independent health professionals, such as physiotherapists and occupational therapists, should undertake assessments in place of GPs. Occupational therapists or physiotherapists are often best placed to assess eligibility due to their professional knowledge of mobility. Transferring assessment to such specialists implicitly suggests the importance of making judgements based on physical mobility rather than medical conditions. Furthermore, their specific expertise enables them to tackle other mobility issues in the course of the assessment, such as the need for special equipment. Where authorities have adopted this approach it has proved beneficial to the applicant and has contributed to the success of the change in practice from GP to accredited health professional.

4.13 Many local authorities have already adopted this approach by running assessment centres. Others use community physiotherapists in assessment centres whereby the local Health Authority provides the Community Physiotherapy Department with a budget in order to provide the service. As well as reducing costs, a fair and equitable service is being provided to all applicants who are required to have an assessment to determine their eligibility.

4.14 In a rural authority, where the population is scattered and accessibility is a problem, careful consideration needs to be given as to how medical assessments are carried out.

You will see from the above that if it were the case that only those with a DLA award were granted BB's then there would be no need for assessment centres. They must have a process to issue BB's to those over 65 who can only claim AA for which there is no mobility component. I think a letter to your local councillor is needed.

fos

I got a blue badge while on just low rate care. I was later awarded high rate mobility and middle rate care at tribunal . I was under the impression that i had to be on high rate mobility but a CAB advisor told me to apply for blue badge and DWP checked with my GP and i got one so i should tell this lady to apply. I find it a godsend .