Blue Badge for Child Asthma

atlantis187

What are the chances of getting a blue badge for a child who has severe asthma using the brown asthma spray. He only needs to walk a few yards and starts feeling out of breath and breathless.

Sarastro

Is it for your own child? The Asthma would have to be really quite severe to qualify for a blue badge.

atlantis187

yes its for my own child he is 8 years old and has had it all his life so far.

When u say quite severe what exactly do u mean? he can only walk a few yards before becoming breathless I have to drive him everywhere. when we go to the supermarket he actually sit inside the trolley as he cant cope with walking.

I have booked a doctors appointment for next week to take him down and ask for his advise and see if he would give a letter supporting ur claim form, what sort of stuff should he need to include in the letter in order to have a successful outcome, is there any buzz words they look for etc..

poppy12345

atlantis187 wrote: »

What are the chances of getting a blue badge for a child who has severe asthma using the brown asthma spray. He only needs to walk a few yards and starts feeling out of breath and breathless.

Unless he automatically qualifies through DLA Mobility award then the criteria depends on your local council. For this you would need to look on their website. They don't give Blue Badges out as easily as they did some years ago and you may have problems getting one. A letter from your GP may or may not help, all you can do is try. He'll most likely need to go for an assessment and then a decision will be made after that.
https://www.gov.uk/blue-badge-scheme-information-council

w06

I suspect your child's GP will be more keen to improve their asthma management

GlasweJen

At 8 you’d be expected to apply for DLA as that “gatekeeps” blue badges.

Children under 3 can get a blue badge if they need oxygen tanks in the car.

kingfisherblue

atlantis187 wrote: »

What are the chances of getting a blue badge for a child who has severe asthma using the brown asthma spray. He only needs to walk a few yards and starts feeling out of breath and breathless.

My son started on the brown spray, but as his attacks were frequent, he had to be changed to a stronger spray. He's had a couple since then, and is currently on Seretide (purple), which I think is a mix of Flixotide and another. My son also needed additonal help in the form of tablets. It sounds as though your son needs better asthma management. Does he use his blue inhaler (Ventolin) when he has an asthma attack? How often does he use it?

As you have an appointment next week, I suggest that you keep a diary over the next few days, showing how often he needs an inhaler, how far he has walked, etc. You should also find out how well he manages in PE at school, so arrange to speak to his teacher. You might want to ask about playtimes as well. It seems odd that a teacher hasn't already advised that you of any concerns.

Asthma is generally a condition that, although serious, can be controlled in the majority of cases and does not usually warrant DLA. Instead, a discussion with the GP, and possibly a referral to a paediatrician for further assistance, is the way forward. I would be more concerned about getting the right medical support than applying for DLA.

kingfisherblue

atlantis187 wrote: »

yes its for my own child he is 8 years old and has had it all his life so far.

When u say quite severe what exactly do u mean? he can only walk a few yards before becoming breathless I have to drive him everywhere. when we go to the supermarket he actually sit inside the trolley as he cant cope with walking.

I have booked a doctors appointment for next week to take him down and ask for his advise and see if he would give a letter supporting ur claim form, what sort of stuff should he need to include in the letter in order to have a successful outcome, is there any buzz words they look for etc..

Nope, no buzz words, just the truth and any evidence from the GP. As I said in my previous post, better asthma management and stronger medication is more likely.

Sarastro

Why do you need buzz words and advice on how to ensure a successful outcome? If you son is as severely ill as you say, the evidence will speak for itself.

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=5669504

In this previous post you discuss how to take both children to Legoland and Windsor and appear to be planning on doing quite a lot of walking. Can you explain how that squares with this thread please?

Your son's asthma is manageable and you will not get a Blue Badge for him. I realise that's probably going to be an inconvenience for you but at least you won't be teaching your children that it's okay to exaggerate their illnesses to get things they are not entitled to and don't need.

There's a good article here on the benefits of exercise for children with Asthma, please don't assume that it can't improve. https://www.asthma.org.uk/advice/living-with-asthma/exercise-and-activities/

teddysmum

The GP won't really know what the boy is like from day today, so would probably add that it's what the child's mum told him/her,thus making the letter (has to be paid for ?) of no actual use,because it adds no extra information.


Several months ago, a poster on these forums, complained that their GP added something like 'according to my patient', thus making them look like a liar, but the GP was just making it clear that they had not personally observed the symptom.

kingfisherblue

Sarastro wrote: »

In this previous post you discuss how to take both children to Legoland and Windsor and appear to be planning on doing quite a lot of walking. Can you explain how that squares with this thread please?

If only my son could walk so far - apart from his asthma, he has painful joints caused by hypermobility (and a list of other disabilities and conditions), and is a wheelchair user - new chair on Monday, as he has grown a lot in the last six years.

I'd love the OP to answer your question about how the amount of walking squares with this thread.

Thank you for posting this - I did wonder whether the OP was genuine, as she stated that her eight year old has to sit in a shopping trolley in the supermarket, and in my opinion, most eight year olds would be too big to do that. It also seemed as though sorting out the medical side was not as important as trying to gain a financial benefit. Quite worrying really! Surely most parents would want to see an improvement in their child's health? (Or am I naive?)

Sarastro, I would thank you again if I could.