Applying for a blue badge

Just about to try for the 4th time, over 4 years, even though I tick 4 of their criteria!

Riggie

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Those we see parking on double yellow lines, slapping down a blue badge certificate on the dashboard then leaping out of the car must have lied on the application form."*

The person you see might be a companion going into somewhere to collect the badge holder or returning to the car after dropping them off. This is a totally legitimate use of the badge (if you read the booklet that comes with them).

The one that gets my goat and is in fact NOT allowed is the disabled person sitting g in the car on double yellow lines or a disabled bay while their companion goes and does their errands. If the disabled person is not getting out of the car then they don't need to use the badge.

What I meant is what you describe in your last paragraph, Riggie; sitting in their cars on double yellow lines or even across people's drives whilst whilst younger family members go about their business! If anything is said (eg "could you just move so I can get in my drive) they wave their blue badge and smirk.

*
Those we see parking on double yellow lines, slapping down a blue badge certificate on the dashboard then leaping out of the car must have lied on the application form."*

The person you see might be a companion going into somewhere to collect the badge holder or returning to the car after dropping them off. This is a totally legitimate use of the badge (if you read the booklet that comes with them).

The one that gets my goat and is in fact NOT allowed is the disabled person sitting g in the car on double yellow lines or a disabled bay while their companion goes and does their errands. If the disabled person is not getting out of the car then they don't need to use the badge.

I apply for one for a family member who gets the mobility part of PiP so it's very straightforward.
I'm ambivalent about applying on line. On the plus side is that you only get the relevant parts of the "form" and are not ploughing through pages of irrelevant questions regarding the other reasons for an application. The minus side was that I had trouble uploading the documents as my ancient scanner and their system were not talking to each other. Had to do it from my phone in the end.

Thank you Marydoll

Forgive me if this link has been posted already. It may help those, who think they need to receive PIP to be awarded a Blue Badge.
The advice applies to all four nations.

www.gov.uk/government/publications/blue-badge-can-i-get-one/can-i-get-a-blue-badge

Thanks Judy54
I had a pleasant but unhelpful response from our Senedd member that it was nothing to do with them, but I will try to persuade DH to try again or ask for one myself!

Hello Callistemon21 I see that you mention the Senedd so must live in Wales. Perhaps applying for a blue badge there is subject to different rules than in the rest of the UK. Of course the criteria should be the same across the whole of the UK but I can now understand your previous posts and comments. It does seem very harsh if the issue of a blue badge is subject to a post code lottery and whether you live in Wales, England, Scotland or Northern Ireland. Please keep challenging the decision and push for a better outcome for your DH.

There’s many reasons for people having a blue badge and not all of them physical.

Many libraries will now process BBs for you after you have had a telephone conversation with the BB team to check eligibility. If eligible you are given a reference number and told what documents to take. Many libraries will even take the photo for you. Check whether your council do this before you start.

Lesley60

I found it straight forward after the first one as long as you are in receipt of the highest award of the mobility component of pip
The trouble is once you have one you will get annoyed at the amount of people parking in disabled bays that don’t have one

Both the standard and highest rate of the PIP mobility award will qualify people for a badge automatically. You just need to send a copy of your DWP award letter with the assessment scores.

I found it straight forward after the first one as long as you are in receipt of the highest award of the mobility component of pip
The trouble is once you have one you will get annoyed at the amount of people parking in disabled bays that don’t have one

Pammie1

It’s worth mentioning also that to qualify for a Blue Badge your condition must be considered permanent, and to substantially affecting your mobility. I think this is the minimum threshold for most councils, so if you are being turned down for a badge, it could be because your condition is not considered to be permanent.

I have a blue badge as I have greatly restricted mobility due to arthritis in my knees. It allows me to have some life outside the house by being able to park close to a shop or restaurant but I still cannot walk around a supermarket for a full ship - thank goodness for online shopping!

I had to go for an assessment to answer some more detailed questions and walk around the building with the assessor. It was a very fair assessment, not stressful really as it was immediately apparent that even using two walking sticks I was out of breath after a few yards and the assessor stopped the physical test very quickly.

I have to reapply later this year as if I’d had knee replacement surgery then I might not need the badge. I’ve not had surgery partly due to Covid restrictions and also because I have other health issues which have taken priority. I hope I can get it renewed without too much hassle as I would be almost housebound without it.

I have never used the badge to park on double yellow lines as I just cannot break years of following the parking rules! I tend to use it in disabled parking bays.

It should not be so arbitrary and subject to the whims of Council administrative tick box assistants.
I wrote to our Senedd member but he just said it was up to individual Councils.

I have my blue badge, not so much because I have cancer but a long term back problems which are getting progressively worse. When my husband was alive he had a badge for the many problems he had and he could just about walk from parking the car across the pavement into the shop opposite. Now when |I am my worse I dont go out, am in too much pain and have difficulty getting in and out of the car even. At the moment things are very bad and I am very bent over and my knees are hurting a lot as I cannot stand upright and walk normally, with covid it has been worse. I cannot stand and wait and when boots had chairs there I could go in give my prescription and sit in the chair and wait. Since covid many places have removed chairs and it makes it almost impossible to collect things. But if you see me go into a disabled bay, I do not have a cane, I try to walk as well as possible and you would not necessarily know how bad it is today for me. Having done hospital car I would never misuse a parking space and know what an effort it is if you are in pain to move about. I have not been able to go into Darlington for some years now. They used to have some disabled parking close to the market but now the parking is a considerable distance from the market and I could not walk far enough to visit it. I am a widow and live alone so do not have the option of someone taking me and so I just have to do the best I can. Now York has made it difficult for us to visit the centre, siting the worries about attacks or extremists. I do not deny this is a possibility but now it means I cannot enter York at all, and many other people are in a similar situation. it is very depressing, bad enough to accept that you will never run again , cannot even walk a short distance, but now we are gradually being shut our of cities and towns , which is very saddening and it is difficult to decide whether the vague possible attack by extremists, now deny us yet more places , and the world gets smaller for us and we can go to less and less places as and when we choose. as for the photo, I dont know how they do it but my goodness how they can possibley recognise me from the awful photo and that depressers us even more!

I am so grateful for my blue badge ( I have inflammatory arthritis and a leaky heart valve which makes me breathless). I have no parking at home and having the badge means I can park without attracting parking fines. I applied with a selfie and a screenshot of a letter from my consultant on line and the badge arrived a week after my application.

Due to the fact that here, there don't appear to be penalties for occupying a disabled parking spaces without a badge, it is widely abused.

Just before the pandemic, after parking in a disabled space in my local LIDL, I watched an elderly couple walk across the car park, go up to my car and check to see if if I had a badge.
I approached them and asked them what the problem was, they won't be doing that again in a hurry!

I was reluctant to apply, probably because I was kidding myself that I was more mobile than I actually was, plus I thought it might mean a lot of red tape. It turned out to be quite straightforward - I filled in the online form and, fairly soon, a woman from the council rang to tell me that I was eligible and I would get one as soon as I paid the fee. I think that it was £10. I have to renew it in August.

It has been a godsend, as walking has become very slow and painful.

Marydoll

The opposite here, they are usually full. Often with people, who don't have a badge!

oh yes, they're the ones who park on double yellow lines or over people's drives when fetching their children from school because they have borrowed their dad's or mum's blue badge!

MaggsMcG

Callistemon
NOT ALL DISABILITIES ARE VISABLE

Don't shout at me MaggMcG
You're very rude.

Not all disabilities are visible, I know that only too well.
However, if someone can leap out of a car, walk uphill at speed I'm perplexed how they can get a blue badge when my DH, who can scarcely walk across the road, has been refused.

Callistemon
NOT ALL DISABILITIES ARE VISABLE

My granddaughter has had one since she was 3 gears old. She is now 21 she still has a palaver every 3 years to get it renewed. It's easier online though. What doesn't help is her PIP assessment is always due around the same time and they often want to see a current PIP letter.

Marydoll snap. They have only just "popped into a shop". Most are too idle to look for an ordinary parking space and heaven forbid they may have to pay although locally the first 25 minutes are free to help the local shops.

The opposite here, they are usually full. Often with people, who don't have a badge!

Wherever we go around here, the disabled parking spaces are largely empty.