Blue badges: share your experiences

HarrietD

Staff Member
Staff member
Apr 29, 2014
9,649
0
London
Our Research and Influencing team would like to hear about your experiences (positive and negative) with accessing and using blue badges. Please see below for more details - thanks everyone :)

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We campaign for you to fulfil your right to travel, safely and comfortably, so that you can continue with day-to-day life activities. It is important to visit health appointments, attend leisure pursuits, and meet with friends or relatives where you can.

We were pleased when the blue badge guidance considered that people with hidden disabilities, such as dementia, may benefit from a blue badge to make parking easier.

If you've had experiences accessing or using blue badges, please feel free to share them below.
 

Bunpoots

Volunteer Host
Apr 1, 2016
7,342
0
Nottinghamshire
I know I probably shouldn’t be giggling about this but I remember my dad re-applying for his blue badge and coming home and telling me how well he’d done in the assessment and the lady had asked if he minded if she walked back to the car with him…he didn’t get the badge. This was one of the first incidents that made me suspect he might have dementia. He’d been assessed as needing a knee replacement at the time and some days really struggled. Then he continued to park in blue badge areas and got loads of tickets. Eventually I managed to get it back for him ?
 

Dunroamin

Registered User
May 5, 2019
418
0
UK
Applied and was given one with no problems. First one was lost and a replacement obtained - again with no problems. I think it depends which council area you are in. Extremely helpful here
 

Wildflowerlady

Registered User
Sep 30, 2019
1,103
0
I applied for a Blue Badge for my partner he has Parkinson's so it could be argued that on a better day his condition is not always so obvious. The Parkinson's specialist recommended it because of falls and unsteady on his feet on bad days and said he would fully support our application if needed. The LA were good and we got the Blue Badge without issue. I have to say we haven't used it much for three reasons one being my partner doesn't go out much because often he says not up to going out/pandemic concerns and the other being I do take a wheelchair out for him and if I can see a decent size parking space am happy to take that and just push him a bit further. I find the hospital Blue Badge parking area generally looks very busy so again I have decided to just push my partner a bit further its lucky at the moment that I am able to do this and weather been ok. I don't think we have made use of it as much as we thought we would but we got it literally just before the pandemic started and he only goes out if he needs to.
 

Wildflowerlady

Registered User
Sep 30, 2019
1,103
0
Again applied and no problem, coming up for renewal soon so hopefully will be just as painless.
Hi @RosettaT how often do you have to renew it please I'll have to check and see if partners in actually in date I didn't realise it needed renewing as we haven't used much as partner doesn't go out much.
 

RosettaT

Registered User
Sep 9, 2018
866
0
Mid Lincs
Hi @Wildflowerlady It's every 3 years. We don't use ours a lot I must confess. One of the problems I find is that disabled parking spaces are extra wide. OH is confined to his wheelchair so I need a space with extra room at the back and they are few and far between. I usually find an end slot somewhere on a dead end so it doesn't hold the traffic up dropping the rear ramp down.
 

CAL Y

Registered User
Jul 17, 2021
632
0
When my husband was diagnosed, I was given a number for Devon Carers.
I rang them and the first thing they said was, he’s eligible for a blue badge.
They sent me the forms. I completed them and sent the required documentation.
Had the badge within about 3 weeks.
Superb service.
 

silkiest

Registered User
Feb 9, 2017
865
0
I had to apply online and attach an electronic photo to the file - it was not easy.
I have found some places have very convoluted systems which are difficult to negotiate. At my local hospital I have to leave the time disc in the car and take the actual blue badge to a special desk to get the parking ticket amended so we don't have to pay for parking. If you take the ticket before the appointment somehow the ticket times out so you have to remember do it on the way out when your PWD is tired and fedup.
 

Lynmax

Registered User
Nov 1, 2016
1,045
0
I applied for a blue badge for my mum at the same time as I applied for one for myself - we lived near each other but in different local authorities. I applied for mum on the grounds of her invisible disability, dementia, and listed issues around risk of falls, wandering if unsupervised, needing toilets quickly or access to car to clean up after a soiling accident, melt downs in shops needing to be parked close to the door, spatial awareness problems with uneven surfaces, angry outbursts and refusing to walk. Her doctor wrote a very good letter supporting the application but it was turned down as she was able to walk further than their limit - two double decker buses! I was planning to appeal and ask for an assessment but mum had a fall, ended up in hospital and was discharged to a care home so has no need of a blue badge.

On the other hand, my application, on the grounds of reduced mobility due to arthritis in knees, was accepted after I went for an assessment. The walk round the building I had to do with the assessor was cut short when she saw how out of breath I got even using two walking sticks. After some fair questions about my health which she input into the computer while I was there, I was granted a badge and she said I should have applied years ago! I will have to reapply in a year as I’ve already had it for two years but due to Covid I have not begun the journey towards having knee replacement surgery so I’m hoping it will be renewed without a problem. It is invaluable to me, without it I would be really restricted and pretty much confined to my house.

Mum did benefit from my badge a few times before she went into a care home, it helped if we went out for lunch to park close to the doors so there was less risk of her falling or getting confused. But I do think she was entitled to a badge in her own name.
 

canary

Registered User
Feb 25, 2014
25,018
0
South coast
I tried getting a blue badge for OH, but he can still walk with a rollator which counts as a walking aid, even though its about the same size as a light wheelchair and wont fit in the space between two cars. He also cant get it on the grounds of invisible disability as he doesnt have a diagnosis and his GP doesnt believe that he has anything wrong.
 

lollyc

Registered User
Sep 9, 2020
947
0
Applied online and got badge no problem. Recently renewed (not likely to need it now though) online. A friend warned me that you need to constantly "save", as you go along, otherwise it times out and loses everything you've completed!
 

Countryboy

Registered User
Mar 17, 2005
1,680
0
South West
Hi just after information on blue badge application I just tried the online application see attached pdf and it say I’m not relegable it appears its only for those with walking difficulties :confused: nothing about have dementia so the only way I could get a blue badge is by lying on the application o_O
 

Attachments

  • Blue Badge 003.pdf
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Jessbow

Registered User
Mar 1, 2013
5,678
0
Midlands
Hi just after information on blue badge application I just tried the online application see attached pdf and it say I’m not relegable it appears its only for those with walking difficulties :confused: nothing about have dementia so the only way I could get a blue badge is by lying on the application o_O
Blue badge wasalways about walking/mobility. Its only recently that dementia patients have qualified and even that depends on their mobility.
I am not sure that a diagnosis of dementia should automatically qualify you
 

nitram

Registered User
Apr 6, 2011
30,075
0
Bury
Receipt of a qualifying benefit has always been necessary for automatic granting of a badge, an appeal for assessment is possible.

Mobility assessment for a benefit has two criteria, basically physical ability and ability to follow a route.
Until recently only physical ability was considered for a blue badge, now the mental aspects of getting around are considered.
This means that whilst it has always been possible to obtain a benefit ,eg PIP, based solely on mental aspects this would not qualify for a badge, now it can.

Without a qualifying benefit a PWD has to be assessed to prove that they meet the qualifying inability to 'get around'
 

Countryboy

Registered User
Mar 17, 2005
1,680
0
South West
Blue badge wasalways about walking/mobility. Its only recently that dementia patients have qualified and even that depends on their mobility.
I am not sure that a diagnosis of dementia should automatically qualify you
Hi Jessbow yes I agree with your comments just having dementia won’t get you a blue badge. :( fortunately I can walk with no issues :cool: and I not in receipt of Benefits. :):) so believe having a diagnoses of dementia is not a sufficient reason for the badge. :rolleyes: if that were the case I was diagnosed 22 years ago therefore it should be easy to get a blue badge but not complaining only sating facts about myself :)
 

SueLM

Registered User
Jan 22, 2022
48
0
What a nightmare. Filled in the online application. They tell me that is not enough info (despite blind in one eye and glaucoma report and despite alzheimers report from memory clinic). I fail to see how that can not be enough info

Sent 7-page questionnaire to be completed by a health professional. Why send a firm that needs completing by a registered health professional to me and not to the consultants/doctor named in application.

I spoke to doctors who said they will send a letter but charge me, but have no time to do the questionnaire (covid excuse) and that it's not for them to do. Memory clinic said we have discharged you back to doctor so not for us to do. So betweenl rock and hard place and no one wants to know or fill in the form.

Its send crazy to me to send a form to me, asking me to send it to a health professional and hoping that they will fill it in and send it back to council (no prepaid envelopes etc ). And weeks and weeks week go by before the whole thing will get rejected

What a farce!!
 

Wildflowerlady

Registered User
Sep 30, 2019
1,103
0
Hello @SueLM when I applied for my mum's blue badge around 6.5 years ago it was granted because of her poor eyesight and her limited ability to walk too far. The eye clinic doctor did do a form to confirm her limited eyesight but it wasn't actually needed however I do recall mentioning on the blue badge application and there was definitely no charge from eye clinic. I seem to recall putting on the application that there was the risk of tripping because of mums vision disability. Can you reapply and point this out? My partner has his blue badge because of Parkinson's and risk of fall plus limited walking of some distance. I have to say we had no problems with getting the blue badge in either mum or partners case but perhaps you need to be insistent on the difficulties encountered when going out and your need to have the badge. I think I have read that sometimes a new application will be granted without issue when some further information is given perhaps emphasise the eye problems re: vision/trip hazard? Both my mum ( now passed ) and partner were also/are in receipt of attendance allowance.
 
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