Blue badge application - good days and bad days?

sbylouk

Oh, actually @poppy12345 I completely forgot the main way I manage it! I see a chiropractor every 3 weeks without fail. That has had the single biggest impact. I believe I would not be working full time of it wasn’t for them. But it possibly only helps me because the root of a lot of my pain is the hyper mobility - the fibro just makes that pain worse. It definitely does not help the flare ups at all, but possibly means they happen less often. Once or twice a month at most.

Spoonie_Turtle

poppy12345 said:

OP, you stated on a good day that you can walk 1-3 miles, wow. I have fibro and was diagnosed by a Rheumatologist about 9-10 years ago. I can't walk 20 metres, without extreme pain, never mind 1 mile and you can walk 3 miles on a good day. 

Poppy I don't think it's really possible to compare because every condition affects each person differently. My aunt and Grandma both have fibro and their mobility is on opposite ends of the spectrum. Walking and moving actually *helps* my aunt's pain (as long as she doesn't overdo it, of course), whereas Grandma really struggles even to get out into their small garden. I don't know anyone else in real life who uses a wheelchair for ME/CFS, though one friend has months of being almost bedbound and then months of being able to go out for a countryside walk every week or two. Another friend with fibro uses a wheelchair but she can bake and sew and do things with her hands that I can't dream of because my muscles just give up after a little while of use (and I use that example because although we have different conditions, our mobility is fairly similar).

[This variability is *exactly* why benefits have to be assessed based on how conditions actually affect us, and not based on diagnosis alone.]

sbylouk

@Spoonie_Turtle I did about half an hour of embroidery this afternoon. My neck, head and elbows still hurt a lot from it. A friend of mine with fibro can cross stitch for hours on end and I’m very jealous of her! I can walk further than her though; so I’ll be grateful for that

poppy12345

Spoonie_Turtle said:

poppy12345 said:

OP, you stated on a good day that you can walk 1-3 miles, wow. I have fibro and was diagnosed by a Rheumatologist about 9-10 years ago. I can't walk 20 metres, without extreme pain, never mind 1 mile and you can walk 3 miles on a good day. 

Poppy I don't think it's really possible to compare because every condition affects each person differently. My aunt and Grandma both have fibro and their mobility is on opposite ends of the spectrum. Walking and moving actually *helps* my aunt's pain (as long as she doesn't overdo it, of course), whereas Grandma really struggles even to get out into their small garden. I don't know anyone else in real life who uses a wheelchair for ME/CFS, though one friend has months of being almost bedbound and then months of being able to go out for a countryside walk every week or two. Another friend with fibro uses a wheelchair but she can bake and sew and do things with her hands that I can't dream of because my muscles just give up after a little while of use (and I use that example because although we have different conditions, our mobility is fairly similar).

[This variability is *exactly* why benefits have to be assessed based on how conditions actually affect us, and not based on diagnosis alone.]

In that sense, i wasn't actually comparing. My statement was purely because the OP was enquiring about a blue badge, yet they are able to walk 1-3 miles. I know that people are affected very differently by these conditions but to be able to walk that distance and to want to apply for the BB, i'm confused as to the reason why.

Yes i have a BB and i claim Enhanced mobility PIP but i'm unable to walk 20 metres without severe pain. In the evenings my walking is even worse and by this time im unable to take more than a couple of steps without severe pain.

Spoonie_Turtle

poppy12345 said:

Spoonie_Turtle said:

poppy12345 said:

OP, you stated on a good day that you can walk 1-3 miles, wow. I have fibro and was diagnosed by a Rheumatologist about 9-10 years ago. I can't walk 20 metres, without extreme pain, never mind 1 mile and you can walk 3 miles on a good day. 

Poppy I don't think it's really possible to compare because every condition affects each person differently. My aunt and Grandma both have fibro and their mobility is on opposite ends of the spectrum. Walking and moving actually *helps* my aunt's pain (as long as she doesn't overdo it, of course), whereas Grandma really struggles even to get out into their small garden. I don't know anyone else in real life who uses a wheelchair for ME/CFS, though one friend has months of being almost bedbound and then months of being able to go out for a countryside walk every week or two. Another friend with fibro uses a wheelchair but she can bake and sew and do things with her hands that I can't dream of because my muscles just give up after a little while of use (and I use that example because although we have different conditions, our mobility is fairly similar).

[This variability is *exactly* why benefits have to be assessed based on how conditions actually affect us, and not based on diagnosis alone.]

In that sense, i wasn't actually comparing. My statement was purely because the OP was enquiring about a blue badge, yet they are able to walk 1-3 miles. I know that people are affected very differently by these conditions but to be able to walk that distance and to want to apply for the BB, i'm confused as to the reason why.

Yes i have a BB and i claim Enhanced mobility PIP but i'm unable to walk 20 metres without severe pain. In the evenings my walking is even worse and by this time im unable to take more than a couple of steps without severe pain.

Fair enough, I think I sidetracked myself a bit, sorry! 

The PIP threshold for a BB is 'can stand and move no more than 50m' (reliably, repeatedly, etc.). That's a heck of a lot more mobility than either of us have, and 'able to walk 1-3miles' could be 'can do it easily every day no problem' or 'can do it once on a good day if you really push but then absolutely knackered and can barely move for a week or two afterwards' - OP seems to be somewhere between those two ends of the 'can walk x distance' spectrum.

I do agree that qualifying for a BB in this instance is unlikely, but we both know that 'can walk x distance' is more complicated than it appears, hence the discussion. (And OP did give the reason for wanting to apply, because of their bad days.)

sbylouk

poppy12345 said:

In that sense, i wasn't actually comparing. My statement was purely because the OP was enquiring about a blue badge, yet they are able to walk 1-3 miles. I know that people are affected very differently by these conditions but to be able to walk that distance and to want to apply for the BB, i'm confused as to the reason why.

The reason why? 6 days a month just existing is torturous. Getting out of bed and down the stairs requires pushing through a lot of pain and then I have to go to work or run errands. A blue badge would make that so much easier and far less of a strain on my mental state. A lot of the time I can’t run the errands and end up having to let things be late, cancel appointments or order a takeaway that I can’t really afford.

On a very good day (approx 8 ish days a month) yes I can walk 3 miles. the rest of the month is somewhere in between - maybe a mile one day but only 20 meters the next. I push myself to walk 3 miles on the days I can to try and at least improve my cardiovascular health. I’ve learned that walking too far doesn’t generally cause the ‘kill me now days’, those are caused by stress and broken sleep. Both of which I find difficult to avoid. I can get good sleep compared to a lot of people with fibro but only if I’m completely undisturbed, which isn’t an option sometimes.

based on the advice I have received on this thread I will not be making an application any time soon. If I did I would have been crystal clear about the difference between my good and bad days.

if any mods are reading this happy for the thread to be closed.

Debran

I recently applied to replace my blue badge.  One of the questions asked how far I could walk using my wheeled walking aid.  The questionnare is restrictive and is a bit of a "one size fits all".   It did not ask as to how you were affected on good days or bad days.  This was their response.

You have indicated that you can walk ‘On a good day, to the recreation ground and back.’ This is a distance close to 200 meters

And you have stated you can walk for 10 minutes without stopping.

These factors therefore don’t make it clear that your mobility warrants the award of a Blue Badge.

I too find movement close to impossible on bad days so I have every sympathy with the person who started this thread. 

If only it was merely a matter of telling the truth.  The online form (at least the one designed for the area in which I live) just isn't fit for purpose.  A number of questions are not relevant and/or don't fit my situation.

Spoonie_Turtle

Debran said:

If only it was merely a matter of telling the truth.  The online form (at least the one designed for the area in which I live) just isn't fit for purpose.  A number of questions are not relevant and/or don't fit my situation.

If possible you might do better with a paper form, then you can write extra. Our council have both types of form, and the online one was very much, 'tick the boxes, type a distance or place name, that's it', and certain options excluded others. The paper form has all the options.

Debran

Thanks for your suggestion, Spoonie_Turtle.  I haven't asked but I would imagine that our council would have to hold a supply of forms for those of us who do not have access to a computer.  Should I be lucky enough to live another three years I'll try that tack next time.

MovingForwards

Debran said:

Thanks for your suggestion, Spoonie_Turtle.  I haven't asked but I would imagine that our council would have to hold a supply of forms for those of us who do not have access to a computer.  Should I be lucky enough to live another three years I'll try that tack next time.

Do they not have a link to a paper one on their website? My council does, as did my last council.
It also has two versions (1) straight entitlement (2) alternative based on description / affect on health.