Blue Badge Eligibility?

johnsons_baby

Morning everyone

Im looking for a little advice please regarding potential eligibility for a Blue Badge. I don!!!8217;t claim any benefits as such. I work on an amended job part time office based and part time at home.

I had a partial knee replacement last year, it didn!!!8217;t go very well and I!!!8216;ve been left on crutches, unable to bend my leg at all, in a lot of pain and living day to day through painkillers to function. The hospital have offered corrective surgery but not for another 12-24 months minimum. I reacted badly to the anaesthetic and I am honestly a bit too scared to go through anymore.

I am unable to drive anymore and I have immense difficulty getting in or out of a car, I need the door open as wide as it goes and this means parking well away from the shop, I then struggle to get to the shops!

As I dont claim any mobility benefit and I do not want to either, could I apply for a blue Badge from the council? It would make life easier, certainly, but wouldn!!!8217;t it go against me that I wouldn!!!8217;t t want to pursue corrective surgery? I am just too scared to contemplate it and the hospital wouldn;t do it at this juncture either.

I would be quite happy to be assessed if that is required.

Any advice or guidance appreciated.

JB

johnsons_baby

Sorry I am not sure what all the !!! 8217 are all about

w06

that's the software not you don't worry, it's mis encoding characters such as the apostrophe when typed from some browsers.

There is a process for applying for a blue badge without being in receipt of benefits. If you follow this link https://www.gov.uk/apply-blue-badge you can apply to your local council and they'll assess you.

Needing the door wide open isn't as far as I'm aware a criteria, agree it's difficult though.

johnsons_baby

I agree needing the door opened wide isn’t a disability but more the walking which I can’t do.

In crutches constantly now, walking 20-30 meters is about my max, some days better, some worse. It’s so painful though to do much walking.

I just wonder if you needed to be unable to walk without aids for a minimum period of time before you can be considered?

poppy12345

johnsons_baby wrote: »

I agree needing the door opened wide isn’t a disability but more the walking which I can’t do.

In crutches constantly now, walking 20-30 meters is about my max, some days better, some worse. It’s so painful though to do much walking.

I just wonder if you needed to be unable to walk without aids for a minimum period of time before you can be considered?

As you don't automatically qualify you'll need to look at the criteria for your local council. They are all different and an assessment will most likely be needed.

retiredandskint

I don't know whether this will help but when I had my knee replaced and needed the door fully opened to get in and out the car I spoke to the supermarkets that I used. They all gave me permission to park in the blue badge area, one even suggesting parent and child because it was closer to the entrance, I just gave them my car reg and let customer service know I had parked.

Having had a non successful knee replacement myself I know how hard it is to get around.

johnsons_baby

Thank you all for your replies.

I am going to give it a go, the worst they can do is say no or that I have to be in this situation longer to qualify.

I would have nothing to hide from an assessment, to be honest I would prefer to have an assessment.

Retiredandskint- what happened after your unsuccessful knee replacement out of interest?

retiredandskint

[QUOTE

Retiredandskint- what happened after your unsuccessful knee replacement out of interest?[/QUOTE]

They're not going to do anything. The original surgeon left my knee cap and it's that that has caused the problem. A revisionary op would take 3-4 hours with less than 50% chance of success. My right knee needs replacing but I'm not going ahead with it just don't want to take the risk. I'm a carer for my husband who has dementia so an added complication.

pinklady21

Why not apply for PIP/Attendance Allowance? (depending on your age)
If you can only manage to walk around 20m without suffering severe discomfort, then you may qualify?
Have you applied for Attendance Allowance / PIP or a Blue Badge for your husband?
I successfully applied for a Blue Badge for my grandmother when she had dementia. It meant that when I was taking her anywhere in the car, I could use the Blue Badge for parking, which was a real help. She could walk, but was easily confused and disorientated, and she could not go out unaccompanied.
The forms can be daunting, but you can try asking your local CAB for help filling in the forms, and there may be other local agencies with experience of completing the forms who can help you.
Best of luck.

retiredandskint

pinklady21 wrote: »

Why not apply for PIP/Attendance Allowance? (depending on your age)
If you can only manage to walk around 20m without suffering severe discomfort, then you may qualify?
Have you applied for Attendance Allowance / PIP or a Blue Badge for your husband?
I successfully applied for a Blue Badge for my grandmother when she had dementia. It meant that when I was taking her anywhere in the car, I could use the Blue Badge for parking, which was a real help. She could walk, but was easily confused and disorientated, and she could not go out unaccompanied.
The forms can be daunting, but you can try asking your local CAB for help filling in the forms, and there may be other local agencies with experience of completing the forms who can help you.
Best of luck.

Thank you for your response. With the help of Age Concern my husband gets attendance allowance (eaten up by paying for carer) he also has a blue badge.

johnsons_baby

Retiredandskint- that’s the same odds they have given me. I am not sure the benefit out weighs the risk.
I did speak to the local council about a blue Badge, they have advised to enclose as much paperwork and supporting evidence as I can once I have been online to apply.
I have spoken to my GP today and will see him in 2 weeks, he needs to see my knee and walking again before he is willing to support an application. That’s fair enough, I usually see the hospital and have copies of my letters to send off.