Have your say - Blue Badges and dementia

[HarrietD]

Hi everyone,

We've had this message from the Programme Partnerships team here at Alzheimer's Society. Your voice is important, so please take part in the review if you want to.

Thanks

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The Government is proposing to widen eligibility for the Blue Badge scheme to enable more people with non-physical and hidden disabilities to apply. Alzheimer’s Society would like to hear your opinion on this important change.

The Blue Badge enables a disabled driver or a Badge holding passenger or driver to park nearer to where they're going, if they need to. Badge holders have more choice in where to park, can park without charge or time limits, and can utilise dedicated parking spaces on public streets and car parks. It can support people to stay in employment, socialise and be part of the community.

The current rules embrace all conditions, physical or otherwise, but it has become clear that the regulations and guidance are not clearly understood or administrated consistently by local authorities. People with hidden disabilities, including dementia, may be finding it difficult to access badges, even though their condition causes them very significant difficulties when undertaking a journey.

What the government is proposing

• Rewording of the criteria for the assessment of those who don’t automatically qualify, in order to be more inclusive.
  
  
• Removing the need for eligibility to the assessor to be ‘independent’, allowing a range of healthcare professionals (other than the applicant’s GP) to undertake an assessment.

The Government wants to know whether people agree with the proposed changes. They also want to know if these changes will disadvantage any particular group, or if people have alternative suggestions.

How you can respond

We think it is really important for the government to understand the issues currently being faced by people with dementia in getting a blue badge, your opinion on the proposal and what needs to change. Details of the consultation questions and how to respond can be found on the website in a range of accessible formats.

>Take part here<
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The deadline to respond is 11.45pm on Sunday 18th March 2018.

Alzheimer’s Society will also be producing a response to the consultation, so if you would prefer to share your experiences with us to feedback, we then will collate and submit.

For more information, please email emma.bould@alzheimers.org.uk

 

[PC128]

Hello there....here in our area of Wales ... Glamorgan, we already can get a blue badge with dementia being the reason for having one... We had my husbands at the first application. I find it very useful...my husband gets a bit funny if I can't open the car door fully ...he no longer wants to ( or understands ) squeezing in... Sometimes ...at our bank...I can park outside & keep an eye on him...seeing he doesn't escape ! If it's cold or wet, rushing is certainly out of the question, though he doesn't have mobility probs...it's handy not to have a long walk.. I do hope it soon becomes available to all dementia sufferers , regardless of mobility..cheers 128

 

[john51]

We live in Bedfordshire. Central Bedfordshire Council are great at only asking for essential information to help them assess particular applications. When I applied for my Blue badge the process was easy.
I didn't get a Blue Badge simply because of my dementia, but the assessor at my PIP was very careful to probe my ability to use a bus, and the problems I have finding my way home, paricularly if the bus should be diverted. The overall PIP assessment mean that I qualified for a Blue Badge because of my PIP award. I get Higher Rate Mobility.
Shortly after I got my badge I qualified under the fact that I am now registered Severely Sight Impaired. It does amuse me a little that I also get a reduced price TV license because my sight is going

 

[HarrietD]

Thanks @PC128 and @john51 for taking the time to share your experiences - I'll feed these back.

 

[FrazzleCat]

Thanks @PC128 and @john51 for taking the time to share your experiences - I'll feed these back.

I live in West Sussex and have recently applied for a blue badge for my mother who is living with dementia. As yet I have had no response but I will let you know the outcome.

 

[RandallV]

I am an avid AD sundowner so would appreciate a blue badge at the end of my day. Locating a parking spot and finding our car easily would be helpful

 

[Greenman007]

I think these proposals would certainly benefit a wider range of conditions which genuinely need access to blue badge parking. Our own application is WIP and hope we get a favourable assessment since although my wife has qualified for the maximum PIP she did not score well on mobility as she can walk reasonably well albeit she doesn’t know where she is or where she is going due to dementia with Lewy Bodies. When I have had to park in the roadway to assist her disembarkement owing to insufficient door room in a std park space she wanders in the path of vehicles while I reverse into the parking bay. This one example of may that must exist. Let’s hope these proposals get passed sooner than later.

 

[john51]

I think these proposals would certainly benefit a wider range of conditions which genuinely need access to blue badge parking. Our own application is WIP and hope we get a favourable assessment since although my wife has qualified for the maximum PIP she did not score well on mobility as she can walk reasonably well albeit she doesn’t know where she is or where she is going due to dementia with Lewy Bodies. When I have had to park in the roadway to assist her disembarkement owing to insufficient door room in a std park space she wanders in the path of vehicles while I reverse into the parking bay. This one example of may that must exist. Let’s hope these proposals get passed sooner than later.

Shouldn't your wife be awarded the higher rate of mobility PIP because of this? If she cant undertake a journey because of the overwhelming mental stress it causes she would get 10 points. If she cant follow a familiar route without aid from someone else she should get 12 points