Blue Badge application

Yes, we had to have help to do it this time and the woman had to use her phone to take another photo of him and of all sorts of documents. Allow time for the delay just in case.

Local authority rules differ. We had trouble when helping MIL reapply for hers. She had to supply proof that she lived at the address given. Also a statement from her GP.
She has had a Blue Badge for about 12 years and at the age of 95 , things are not likely to get easier for her.

Yes - DD2’s latest renewal was declined outright, despite her disability statement ‘for life’ and that she’d had blue badges for 30 years and been driving a Motability vehicle for 27 years. She had to jump through hoops to be accepted again and when the badge eventually arrived after many emails and phone calls, plus her offer of a face to face, there wasn’t a word of explanation.
Thankfully, she’d applied 10 weeks early, so her old badge still had a few days left in it.

Yes, I had to answer questions and I was refused a badge. The woman made me walk outside. Although I had had one for around 10 years previously.

In my area one almost has to be in a wheelchair! It made little difference when I said to get in and out of the car I needed the door to be as wide as possible, no luck. Here we can't re-apply, so I suffered for a year. I no longer drive so thankfully no longer need one.

DH recently got a Blue Badge. He had to get a scip from the GP listing everything he had wrong with him.

What struck me was that all they wanted was a list. They didn't seem interested in his actual mobility. His condition varies from week to week, but no check of actual mobility was madey

I have heard varying stories from other blue badge holders. Whilst I can see the need to check that blue badges are not being handed out willy nilly, there seems to be little common sense used in some areas. In my own case, nothing is improving, and only likely to get worse, as time goes on, it is very depressing to have to go through everything at renewal times, when , if you are like me, I usually choose not to notice how much worse I am getting, and filling in these forms, sadly shows that when I first moved here, I could manage to walk to the nearest Tesco if I took my time, and didnt attempt to carry a lot of shopping, but now I cannot even walk to the end of my own road. With the aid of the yellow peril or the car, I still manage to get around, but dont choose to notice the changes, until made to by filling in the forms.

It does seem a waste of time and energy, when authorities are not satisfied by having a simple form perhaps signed by the doctor, that no improvements have happened, and your state of health is the same or worse from the previous time. If you have a situation where your health changes in different ways, then I can see the reason for having to check more carefully.

The big problem I see is that when I was having cancer treatment, and when I was taking people to hospital for varying treatment, there was no method of having a "temporary" badge. So for instance, you could have a very bright orange badge, which immediately showed that this was for a limited time, such as receiving radiotherapy, or when you had an accident or some operation that cause a need for a set time. There is no mechanism for such a case and so many people who are having sudden and problematic mobility difficulties, cannot get a quick help, and by the time all the hoops have been jumped through, it can be too late to help.

I do wonder, in these times of quick access to details and pictures, that the blue badge does not give a clear number or something, so that people such as the police or wardens, could look at this and confirm that the person using this badge is a bona fide user. There is a big use of stolen blue badges and misuse by people, such as family keeping the blue badge after the death of someone and using it fraudently. If this was dealt with , then I think things might become easier for those who are entitled to use them.

Personally, I try to have 2 or 3 appropriate pictures in my wallet, and at one point , had a picture of a form on my phone, in case I should ever need to prove things in an area that I was not usually in. If anyone is having a lot of difficulty, I would recommend getting in touch with someone like citizens advice or someone like our community action group, who have people who are up to date with the legislation and what the latest situation is in the area. They can often help you to apply, tell you what documentation is required before you apply, which can save you a lot of time and stress , making sure that you have everything you need and have filled in forms correctly. Also , having done such things in the past, you often find that authorities can note that such people are assisting you and whilst it is not 100% true, they are aware that this help would not be available if the details had not been checked through thoroughly. I also suggest to people who have just got their first badge, to make a note of all the things they had to do to get it, so that in the future they could refer to this list, or tell someone else applying, what they would need to have ready. I wish everyone good luck in their application, and personally would be only too pleased if my health improved to such a state that I didnt need it!!

I have just completed my first Blue Badge application, well 10 days ago. I did have to give my medical history but did not have to name my consultants (I could have as I have their letters). The East Riding of Yorkshire form was very easy to complete. I uploaded it, with a photo of my driving licence, council tax bill and selfie, at 5 pm, by 9.30 am the next morning I had been informed I had been granted my badge. Ecstatic! Such excellent service. I'm sorry your application has proved more difficult.

When I renewed my father’s (in the north west) it was virtually a completely new application from scratch. Having held one already, being 2 (?) years older and less mobile than before it was a bit of a pain. But straightforward enough if you follow the instructions.

I see the phrase "there seems to be little common sense used in some areas". These are public servants, given the chance to get some Jobsworth 'brownie points'. Sadly it will press the wrong buttons in some!

If you DO have a problem, contact your local MP -- possibly your local County Councillor too. There obviously should NOT be local variations in how the rules are applied.

My latest application form required the full list of ailments and consultants and this time also wanted photos of all my mobility aids, so they got a very fetching pic one of my sticks, my 2 rollators and a cheerful photo of me in my (occasionally used) wheelchair in front of our wheelchair accessible vehicle!
The form took me about 2 weeks to get completed and was much more rigorous than the last one I filled in.
I got the badge, but by golly, I earned it!

I had to complete a full application when applying to renew my blue badge. I had to state my reasons for needing one and also had to attend a face to face assessment with an “impartial” assessor. I was refused a badge because I could walk too well with my rollator and didn’t display any discomfort while walking! My condition hadn’t improved at all since my first successful application!

Yes, all local authorities are different, why I don't know!!
I applied 3 times , each time got turned down, they wanted letters from consultants and therapists that we don't see! So impossible to have letters.
I was applying for my adult daughter with special needs, but because she can walk they didn't want to know, I knew she was entitled to one so got my MP involved and that done the trick, she even said we were entitled to a badge, she fought our case and won, a note has been put on the screen to say she will get automatic renewal indefinitely now.
It was very stressful as I knew she was entitled to one, but kept hitting a brick wall.

I asked Age Concern to help me out. It was easy for them as they do lots. might be worth asking.

My experience of a Blue Badge highlighted to me how much it can be abused. DH in wheelchair, receiving cancer treatment. I would drive him to hospital and if very lucky would find a disabled space. Unloaded wheelchair, got husband out and into hospital entrance. As per the rules where I live, as I was not the Blue Badge holder I had to move my car out of disabled space and find a standard space. Walk back to hospital and take DH to appropriate department. Then do reverse when appointment finished. At times all the disabled spaces were filled and remained filled for considerable lengths of time. Yes some drivers would be the badge holder but in the main it was the passenger. Constantly saw people arrive, park, take someone to appointment and just wait leaving car in disabled space. Same at shops. Very few people dropped the badge holder off and then parked in standard space. I can see why some authorities have quite an involved system. I'd appreciate my LA having more involvement in getting people here to understand and apply the rules.

I applied for one but was rejected. I have COPD and have great difficulty walking up stairs or hills but because I can walk on level ground for a few minutes I wasn't eligible. We live on a steep hill so walking down with several stops ìs ok but walking back up is almost impossible

I had to jump through hoops earlier this year to renew my Mum's (93, living in a care home, dementia diagnosis, heart failure diagnosis and hit and miss whether she could even get out of a chair without help). After supplying them with as much info as I could think of, they still responded saying they needed more proof.

Luckily, two things that I had overlooked did the trick at that stage - a letter from a year ago, before she went into care, awarding her the higher lever of attendance allowance, and also a hospital discharge letter following an overnight stay in hospital also the previous year, which mentioned "a fall', "frail" and "delerium". Two hours after emailing those, the renewal was confirmed.

I was granted a Blue Badge in 2011. Renewal after three years involved completing the application form from scratch and adding copies of recent letters. So all paperwork from over 30 years. In this area it is essential a consultant has been recently involved - my badge expires next year. I’ve had no further consultant appointments because there is frankly no point. Nothing will change. One referral for consultant opinion last year was bounced back. My GP is sympathetic but without new symptoms a consultant referral is inappropriate . I anticipate my renewal application next year will be refused and am already anxious about it.

My mother renewed her badge last year in Lancashire. No problem.
She has moved to live with us and I have put off informing our local council of the change of address as they are, apparently, very difficult.
My thinking is that in two years we won’t be taking her out much so perhaps we will cope.

Not had a problem here in Surrey but I do have a lot of injuries which make their decision easy.Agree all councils should use same rules

Our Asda, disability spots are like gold dust. People park up, no blue badge, & nothing is done to prevent them from parking.
I’ve never bothered applying for one. Waste of time!

I was refused my blue badge when it came to renewal time as they thought mine was a temporary condition (it’s not), but they don’t issue them for temporary conditions, so why would they have issued my initial badge? Also I can walk, but need a wide bay as my knees won’t bend very well, so I need to open the door fully. I was told that blue badges aren’t given in these circumstances. I countered this with why are parents and child bays wider? Because they need to open the doors wide to get the child in and out, so what’s the difference? After an appeal I got my badge, but now I’m dreading the next renewal.

My mum has a blue badge and someone from Age uk came to mums and helped fill out the form , and we were successful. Unfortunately I often can’t get a space in a disabled parking space as they’ll all full .
Mums in a wheelchair but I need a wider space to get the wheelchair alongside my car .

Overthemoongran

I was refused my blue badge when it came to renewal time as they thought mine was a temporary condition (it’s not), but they don’t issue them for temporary conditions, so why would they have issued my initial badge? Also I can walk, but need a wide bay as my knees won’t bend very well, so I need to open the door fully. I was told that blue badges aren’t given in these circumstances. I countered this with why are parents and child bays wider? Because they need to open the doors wide to get the child in and out, so what’s the difference? After an appeal I got my badge, but now I’m dreading the next renewal.

I think if supermarkets would only make all parking bays wider, a lot of us would manage, not feel like we have to be like contortionists to get out.
Best is our new lidl, bays have shadows on either side, so you can open doors wide open- that’s every bay. So hats off to Lidl.

Tenko

My mum has a blue badge and someone from Age uk came to mums and helped fill out the form , and we were successful. Unfortunately I often can’t get a space in a disabled parking space as they’ll all full .
Mums in a wheelchair but I need a wider space to get the wheelchair alongside my car .

Yes, that is the other problem. And certainly at our hospital, it is a lack of parking for everyone, not just the disabled.

When my brother and I took Mum to hospital a few months ago we managed to park in a wide enough 15 min drop-off space to get her out, but obviously the car then had to be parked in a normal narrow space (finding one of those at our hospital is like winning the lottery!), but to get Mum back in the car afterwards we had to move the car out of the space far enough to get the door fully open and help her in, which meant we were blocking the traffic in the carpark for at least mins!

My husband is struggling to walk far now, but having experienced how hard it was just to renew my mum's Blue Badge, I can't imagine he will possibly able to get one of those until he is a lot worse. But he is on the verge of no longer being able to do what we have usually done up until very recently for hospital visits, which was to park down in town and walk to the hospital from there, a 10 - 15 min uphill walk.