Don't understand PIP and blue badge eligibility

poppy12345

pearl123 wrote: »

I've got documentary evidence. I just wonder if it is enough.

All you can do is apply, it will depend on your local councils criteria and an assessment is possible.

Spoonie_Turtle

MeenaM wrote: »

so having autism and not being able to go out unaccompanied wont qualify? :eek: dont know why they didnt assess as "very considerable psychological distress" as it is melt downs and full blown panic attacks?

If your son doesn't automatically qualify through his PIP award, your local council can still assess him and if they have any modicum of sense then meltdowns and panic attacks should indeed qualify! It just means they have to look at his case themselves, rather than being able to automatically give him one. When you apply you will need to say exactly why he cannot safely and independently walk x number of metres.

Theoretically autism and learning disabilities have already been included previously because of the safety element - if someone is not aware of hazards when walking along pathways next to a road, or walking from a car park into a shop for instance then they cannot safely walk that distance. But it's good it's been opened up for mental health conditions and publicly so, plus having very consistent guidance for it across all councils.

pearl123

poppy12345 wrote: »

All you can do is apply, it will depend on your local councils criteria and an assessment is possible.

Unfortunately, the second my mother is being assessed for anything she acts like a acrobat! She can suddenly walk better. She tries harder. She get afraid, of what they might suggest, so she just does better.
She's having falls all the time, including one where she was sent to hospital this year.
She gets middle rate DLA. I suppose it only a matter of time before I can claim blue badge. She can't not go out without me.

blackcat11

I dont think I understand the blue badge scheme now, my mum got a blue badge because she has mobility issues and cannot walk far so has to park near to a shop entrance, she can however drive herself and doesn't need anyone to accompany her and thats exactly what I thought a blue badge was for, to be able to park closer to places to avoid having to walk far. So has it now changed so that its for people who cannot plan a journey or go out on their own? How does a blue badge actually help people who are like that? Sorry if I sound harsh but if its now changed so that people who cannot plan a journey or cant go out on their own but can walk without mobility being an issue surely it means those who have severe mobility issues and cannot walk far are going to lose out on spaces.

calcotti

blackcat11 wrote: »

So has it now changed so that its for people who cannot plan a journey or go out on their own? How does a blue badge actually help people who are like that?

People who were previously entitled to a Blue Badge are still entitled. However the scope of the scheme has been extended to include people with some mental health issues which impact their ability to get about. It helps them to get out with the assistance of other people.

ohreally

blackcat11 wrote: »

Sorry if I sound harsh but if its now changed so that people who cannot plan a journey or cant go out on their own but can walk without mobility being an issue surely it means those who have severe mobility issues and cannot walk far are going to lose out on spaces.

That's about the long and short of it.

calcotti

blackcat11 wrote: »

Sorry if I sound harsh but if its now changed so that people who cannot plan a journey or cant go out on their own but can walk without mobility being an issue surely it means those who have severe mobility issues and cannot walk far are going to lose out on spaces.

That's an argument for providing more spaces, not for limiting the benefit.

MeenaM

Thanks to all for your helpful posts. I have applied and submitted evidence and will have to wait and see, but if i had understood it in the first place i could have applied before the 30 Aug!
It will be a tremendous help to us if we can get it ,

Muttleythefrog

blackcat11 wrote: »

So has it now changed so that its for people who cannot plan a journey or go out on their own? How does a blue badge actually help people who are like that? Sorry if I sound harsh but if its now changed so that people who cannot plan a journey or cant go out on their own but can walk without mobility being an issue surely it means those who have severe mobility issues and cannot walk far are going to lose out on spaces.

It has specifically added those who cannot (interpret not literally but most of the time) go out due to overwhelming distress. How could a blue badge help such people? Well it means they could be conveyed (or drive) to much closer to destination from closer to source which could eliminate some of the barriers presenting to going out. I'm now technically eligible for a Blue Badge due to this PIP descriptor but I am rarely out on the roads as a passenger and my award runs out soon for PIP anyway so I might as well wait until it is reassessed before getting one. However a couple of weeks ago I had minor surgery in a hospital... due to excessive planning and associated anxiety I simply was not going to have the time to prepare for the day. I discovered the possibility of patient transport... which take you from door to appointment and back. This cut out perhaps more than 80% of my problems (for example around half of my planning would have involved avoiding getting lost) and I was able to attend. The reason I give the example is that it shows how cutting out elements and complexity of an event regarding going out is crucial to making it more likely and a blue badge in theory could achieve same. I think when it comes to mental illness and cognitive impairment you have to use a bit of imagination, unless you directly suffer, in order to appreciate some of the barriers. For physical disabilities it is perhaps a bit more obvious and logical.

Spoonie_Turtle

blackcat11 wrote: »

So has it now changed so that its for people who cannot plan a journey or go out on their own?

As above with the example of autism, if a person with limited hazard awareness or no ability to orientate themselves goes out and needs accompanying, it reduces the danger. It's the difference between being able to go straight into the building or spending half an hour attempting to navigate the car park and ending up utterly exhausted, overwhelmed and completely stressed before they even get into the building. Not just shops, but doctors' surgeries, dentists, opticians, hospitals - as well as places for leisure (because why should anyone be unable to access things they *want* to do, to have a bit of enjoyment in life?) In those situations it's also a lot less stressful for the companion or carer too.

As for the overwhelming distress category, surely it's obvious that if a person gets to cut out a significant part of the cause of distress, they might actually be able to go out and do things instead of being housebound. And likewise for appointments, making the whole experience far less stressful so that they are no longer such an ordeal for the person.

And yes, as already mentioned, those who were elegible before still are! One could indeed argue it's grounds for providing more spaces.