Blue Badge Renewal If You Don't Go Online

Spoonie_Turtle

FindMyWayBack said:

You need to be quite computer literate to achieve getting/renewing a blue badge now, as well as filling in the form, you have to scan and upload a lot of documents to do with your DLA/PIP and then a lot of other ones relating to ID/address, and a photograph. Certainly not a job for your 91 year old relative. I took me a while and I am only 60.

Took me a while back in 2018 in my 20s!  I did it on my laptop, which made uploading photographs/scans quite awkward.

kaysdee

My son is only 19 and has no ID or letters in his name and his PIP/DWP letters are addressed to me as his appointee. Took a while to do it most recent badge renewal application but haven’t heard anything over a month later. The gov.uk site refers you back to the local authority who just say it’s a 12 week wait and I can’t check until they’ve looked at it if what I have uploaded for him is suitable. This is his first renewal as an adult and everything seems more difficult now he’s no longer a child.

Back in the day, I used to just take his previous badge, birth certificate and DLA (at the time) letter into the civic centre. It does often feel like the system is designed to throw up barriers when you don’t fit into a mould.

We can’t travel abroad but I’ll have to get him a passport for ID purposes I think. 

(Don’t get me started on those online authentication procedures - unable to access his child trust fund at present- that require the person to go through facial or verbal identification when my son can’t read or talk clearly and can’t look in the right place for long enough)

Alderbank

TimeLord1 said:

Savvy_Sue said:

It's not an immediate solution, but it may be worth getting in touch with your / their local councillor and asking what they're supposed to do? Also organisations such as Age UK may offer help with this kind of thing. 

I think originally it was Social Services that dealt with Orange Badge application's but all local councils will do is suggest a local library for help. All very poor if you're wheelchair-bound

Where I live in Scotland all public libraries, and all their computers, are fully wheelchair accessible. Is that not the case in Essex?
Or are you making the assumption that all wheelchair users are no good on computers?

Spoonie_Turtle

Alderbank said:

TimeLord1 said:

Savvy_Sue said:

It's not an immediate solution, but it may be worth getting in touch with your / their local councillor and asking what they're supposed to do? Also organisations such as Age UK may offer help with this kind of thing. 

I think originally it was Social Services that dealt with Orange Badge application's but all local councils will do is suggest a local library for help. All very poor if you're wheelchair-bound

Where I live in Scotland all public libraries, and all their computers, are fully wheelchair accessible. Is that not the case in Essex?
Or are you making the assumption that all wheelchair users are no good on computers?

I imagine the thinking in this specific context was perhaps that older people needing to use a wheelchair due to frailty might not be able to self-propel, or might only have a transit chair especially if they/their family have bought one themselves rather than asking for help, and thus need someone to push them be able to get anywhere.  And even when people do ask for help, wheelchair provision for young people is rubbish enough, I can't imagine it's any better for elderly people.

(FWIW I can't stand the phrase 'wheelchair-bound' but can understand why people who have one that doesn't actually meet their needs might feel it is restricting rather then the freedom they mobility aids are supposed to be.)