Blue Badge assessment - was this a reasonable assessment?

cantcope

If he cannot walk without your MIL or someone else to hold onto anyway i'm not sure why a blue badge would help with this other than they might be able to park a little closer to a store.

You might be better off applying for PIP mobility for him as if he cannot walk safely aided OR unaided he may qualify and if he does then he would automatically also qualify for a blue badge.
Good luck x

Savvy_Sue

ANNOYED1 wrote: »

The walking assessment should be done on their own or with an aid. Your MIL is not counted as an aid. If he needs your MIL to assist him then he should get a blue badge.
Appeal the decision or ask for another assessment and take someone from age uk/cab with them. Ask for the assessment report and you can see what they wrote.
Do not give up.

That was rather my feeling. I hope they will appeal, although I'm not holding my breath. I think it vanishingly unlikely they'd ask for help from Age UK or CAB.

cantcope wrote: »

If he cannot walk without your MIL or someone else to hold onto anyway i'm not sure why a blue badge would help with this other than they might be able to park a little closer to a store.

To be fair, it won't help a lot, as I already said in post 4. But if they had a blue badge, then Dad could go out with one person (neither he nor MIL can drive), they could park where they needed to be, and get out together. ATM you need someone other than the driver to be with Dad.

(And while the driver goes away to park, FIL repeatedly asks where the driver is / why they're waiting there / what they're waiting for / what they're doing there / what's happening and so on.)

cantcope wrote: »

You might be better off applying for PIP mobility for him as if he cannot walk safely aided OR unaided he may qualify and if he does then he would automatically also qualify for a blue badge.

He's too old for PIP.

Danday

Browntoa wrote: »

Our local blue badge applications are by post , you just need supporting letters showing hospital appointments and medication . Both my mother with COPD and my father in law with diabetes/vascular dementia/ balance problems both got theirs . No face to face interview

Each council has their own system in addition to the standard government one.
So it may well be the case that your council is quite relaxed in their criteria whereas others would want a lot more evidence to support the application of having seriously reduced walking ability.
In my council you have to apply on line and for the non automatic qualifiers the council will then send out part 4 of the full application from to complete and return.

As for conditions they aren't interested - what they want to be certain of is that they qualify under the special application criteria - unable or virtually unable to walk more than 80 metres.

My wife had a BB but on renewal did not have any up to date evidence and not within the previous 3 years. She receives day & night AA award because of her many issues arthritis, breathing issues, high blood pressure and water retention.
They refused her because she borrowed a son in law's car to get to the car park where the test were carried out. They saw her get out of the car (fairly low vehicle and walk to where the assessor was. She says they just went through the motions and it was over in 15 mins.

Roger1

cantcope wrote: »

If he cannot walk without your MIL or someone else to hold onto anyway i'm not sure why a blue badge would help with this other than they might be able to park a little closer to a store.

There is another situation where a blue badge could be helpful.

There is a council car park conveniently close to our GP. Blue badge holders can park without charge.

It is difficult for some to pay for parking. Since our 'easyCouncil' outsourced services to Crapita, we need a mobile to set up and pay for parking. The coin machine is long since gone. A blue badge would be useful.

Danday

Savvy_Sue wrote: »

That was rather my feeling. I hope they will appeal, although I'm not holding my breath. I think it vanishingly unlikely they'd ask for help from Age UK or CAB.
.

Unfortunately that is a very common position to take.
There are thousands of elderly individuals who would be entitled to Pension Credit, Housing Benefit etc but in refusing to ask for or take up help and advice they lose out.

I also fall into that category and find it extremely difficult for many reasons to ask for help for many things.

Savvy_Sue

Danday wrote: »

In my council you have to apply on line and for the non automatic qualifiers the council will then send out part 4 of the full application from to complete and return.

Yup. BIL had to help them with the online application. FIL has never used a computer, practically on principle, and isn't going to start now. MIL did an introductory class at the library, many years ago, but never found anything sufficiently useful or interesting to tempt her to overcome FIL's rather intense dislike of them.

Roger1 wrote: »

There is another situation where a blue badge could be helpful.

There is a council car park conveniently close to our GP. Blue badge holders can park without charge.

It is difficult for some to pay for parking. Since our 'easyCouncil' outsourced services to Crapita, we need a mobile to set up and pay for parking. The coin machine is long since gone. A blue badge would be useful.

:rotfl: at the idea of MIL paying for parking on a mobile phone (something FIL does not even possess!).

Although in their case the functions of driving and parking are always carried out by someone else, and their usual chauffeur can do this.

Danday wrote: »

Unfortunately that is a very common position to take.
There are thousands of elderly individuals who would be entitled to Pension Credit, Housing Benefit etc but in refusing to ask for or take up help and advice they lose out.

I'm confident they wouldn't be entitled to any means-tested benefits. I'm sure FIL would get AA if they'd claim, probably at the higher rate, but they won't. It wouldn't make a radical difference to their lives, or I'd push more. They do get some subsidised taxi journeys, and do use them.

Ames

AA wouldn't help with getting a blue badge anyway, as there's no mobility component to it.

Savvy_Sue

Ames wrote: »

AA wouldn't help with getting a blue badge anyway, as there's no mobility component to it.

No, I know that, I was just responding to a comment about other possible benefits. That and the blue badge are the only things I'm aware they'd be eligible for.

Danday

Ames wrote: »

AA wouldn't help with getting a blue badge anyway, as there's no mobility component to it.

You would think not.
But, and certainly my council do in fact take on board that the highest rate of AA as being suggestive that help with mobility around the home could translate to mobility outdoors.

Each council has their own interpretation on this.

System

I have managed to sucessfully apply for a Blue badge for my daughter yesterday , she can walk but has difficulty she has multiple medical issues .

She didnt automatically qualify but we filled in a form and were accepted , there was no physical assessment .