Blue Badge turned down for Alzheimer's

[Witzend]

Isn't this one case where some campaigning from the Alzh Soc could help? As we all know, the majority of the general public are pretty clueless about the day to day, practical realities of dementia. To most people it would seem obvious that if the person's mobility isn't good enough to manage the distance to and from the car park, then you just drop them off - where's the problem?

They can't imagine a scenario where the person will almost immediately forget that you are coming back soon, will not have a clue what is going on, will become frightened/agitated/panicky, and very likely wander off.

There was absolutely no way I could ever have dropped my mother off at the optician's on a very busy high street. On two such occasions I had to arrange taxis. For some reason she was also frightened of being in a wheelchair, so that wouldn't have been much help either.

 

[nitram]

"Isn't this one case where some campaigning from the Alzh Soc could help? "


It has been escalated through AS to national level.

RESPONSE
Apologies for the delay in responding. I’ve checked with our policy team regarding the position on blue badges and I got the following back.

1. This is not something we are currently campaigning on nationally as we know there is currently no ministerial commitment to extent the Blue Badge scheme to people with cognitive impairments. There is no indication that there would be a change in policy on this. Although, the Welsh Government have recently extended the scheme.

2. Local authorities can apply their own criteria to the use of blue badges (e.g. charging for or free parking), so this is probably more of a local issue at the moment.

3. If we do policy research on transport at some point, this is certainly something we could consider looking into.


Thanks,



And also to the Blue Badge team at the DFT

I have been given this address by xxxxx and wondered if someone could contact me about advice for accessing blue badges for people living with dementia, where the physical aspect of their condition is not as advanced as it will become, but their cognitive decline makes journeys they have been used to making with ease increasingly impossible for them, even with a carer to support them.


RESPONSE
Thank you for your email. Please note this is an automatically generated email response.



The DfT will not respond directly on the issues listed below as these are explained at GOV.UK
· Apply for a Blue Badge
· Report a lost or stolen Blue Badge
· Blue Badge scheme: information from your council
· Change the details on your Blue Badge
· Find out where Blue Badge holders can park and using your Blue Badge abroad
· Apply for an older person's bus pass
· Apply for a disabled person's bus pass
· Appeal a parking fine
· Apply for a dropped kerb
· Get a parking permit
· Getting your vehicle back if it's been wheel clamped
· Parking tickets
· Pay a parking fine
· Transport if you're disabled
An unsuccessful application or an appeal against a local authority’s decision that you are not eligible for a Blue Badge. The DfT does not have the power to intervene in individual cases, nor is there any right of appeal to the Secretary of State for Transport on this issue. You need to go through your local authority’s internal appeals procedure or, if you believe that your application was not dealt with properly, you may contact the Local Government Ombudsman at: http://www.lgo.org.uk/ or on 0300 061 0614
If you are visiting the UK from overseas, please note that disabled visitors to England are not eligible to be issued with a Blue Badge. We have informal reciprocal arrangements with other member states of the European Union (EU) but if you are travelling from outside the EU, please check with the local police or highways authority in the areas you intend to visit to see if your country’s disabled person’s parking card would be recognised. Local authorities can be contacted via the following link: https://www.gov.uk/find-your-local-council

If you are visiting Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland please contact them separately at:

Scotland: bluebadge@transportscotland.gsi.gov.uk

Wales : blue.badge@wales.gsi.gov.uk

Northern Ireland: enquiries@drdni.gov.uk



Please note that the Department for Transport (DfT) will not reply to your email if it is about any of the above Blue Badge issues. If your enquiry relates to Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland, please contact them separately at the e-mail addresses shown above. The DfT will respond to issues on other matters, such as Departmental policy on the Blue Badge scheme, the legislation governing the scheme and the Government’s programme of reforms to the scheme. For such enquiries, we will respond within the DfT’s standard of 20 working days.



The Blue Badge scheme in England is administered and enforced at a local level by your local authority, not by the DfT. You can contact your local authority directly via the following link https://www.gov.uk/find-your-local-council



Please speak to your local authority about any of the issues below:

the parking clock
reporting the death of a Blue Badge holder
reporting an instance of suspected misuse of a Blue Badge.



Regards



The Blue Badge team

DfT


The guidance for LAs is
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-blue-badge-scheme-local-authority-guidance-england

 

[Feline]

"Have had review with GP who says, he will back me 100%"

In my LA a letter from the GP in itself counts for zilch, your LA may be different.

The regulations were changed in 2011 partly because GPs were being too lenient, sometimes giving in to pestering which lead to abuse of the system. If a person cannot walk 50 metres they should be in receipt of a disability allowance of some sort (DLA/PIP), this gives automatic Blue Badge entitlement.

As I have already said a referral to the falls clinic could well be the route to take - leaning sideways, forwards or backwards - irregular gait - all leading to a risk of falls even if the person can walk 50 metres. The clinic should stress that these problems are variable and unpredictable. Spatial awareness/visual perception does not count.

Yes, at present it has to be high level rate DLA/PIP and that is what probably needs to be changed, in the case of Alz etc.I hadn't thought before to apply, so applying now, (DLA has to be changed to PIP when there is a change, for anyone that doesn't know), so another form to complete. I don't know if our LA take notice of GP or not, I imagine Rob if needed will have to be independently assessed. Presumably a referral would have to be made to falls clinic, we have had a few , plus Seizure but no one has suggested a "falls Clinic" Another ask I suppose!
I have explained walk/fall problems on PIP form.

 

[Kjn]

Not sure where abouts you are nitram , sounds hard work.
Mum got one for dad re his walking , leaning, distance, gets out of breath, walks too fast then trips up , car parks in town are good walk (long way and steps) tbh for them otherwise.

 

[Skyrim]

Lets use some ingenuity here!!

Do not be fazed by this blue badge issue. You should all be looking at the common-sense needs of where you should park to accommodate your disability, and worry about the restrictions therafter.

After the first time my MIL went missing, having been dropped outside the door of the eye clinic ( resulting in a mass security turn-out by hospital security....she trapped herself in the lift), second time, she was dropped outside the car park, lost the plot and went home by herself and resulted in the police helicopter tracking her down, and the third time, failing to hear the receptionist call her name for her appointment and then going off for a sandwich.... Well, my sense of humour has to come to the fore.

I should add here that MiL has dementia plus a craving for tea stops. She has macular degeneration and virtually no hearing. She wobble over but persists. Its like settting a pack of marbles loose to leaveher on her own. Amd I can't get a blue badge because she is capably mobile.....but in any direction.

So. In place of the Blue Badge I have a sticker which says "i am escorting a person with dementia.... Sorry to inconvenience your use of this parking place. If you have. Aproblem, please speak to me later. I am not having a great day. My apologies."

I use this to park briefly, as close to where i need to be, to safely disembark the MIL. I have never yet found a problem, and only consideration from parking attendants who are either so helpful I can't thank them enough, or just fazed by the comment " I thought we were working towards a dementia-friendly society here???".

My view is, start from the bottom-up to effect change. Be simplistic, say it how it is. If officialdom frustrates you, create your own.

 

[Saffie]

Yes, at present it has to be high level rate DLA/PIP

Sorry if I have got this wrong as my husband used to deal with his own Blue Badge business but my husband didn't even receive DLA, only Invalidity until it stopped at 65 and only ordinary state pension afterwards but he had a blue badge for many years as he had PAD and couldn't walk far.

My grandson with DS is on the middle rate of DLA and he has a badge too. It's true that many people needing disabled parking have no obvious sign of their disability but that doesn't mean it isn't there.

Maybe LAs differ with this as they do with their rates of care home fees allowances too.

 

[nitram]

"Yes, at present it has to be high level rate DLA/PIP"

It's not as simple as that.

The rules regarding automatic eligibility based on DLA/PIP are:-

You get the higher rate mobility component of disability living allowance (DLA)

You live in England and have been awarded 8 points or more in the ‘moving around’ activity of the personal independence payment (PIP).

You live in Scotland or Wales and have been awarded 8 points or more in the ‘moving around’ activity or 12 points in the ‘planning and following journeys activity’ of the personal independence payment (PIP).

You live in Scotland, were previously on the higher rate mobility component of DLA and subsequently failed a personal independence payment re-assessment. To qualify in this case, you must have asked for a reconsideration of the decision or your previous DLA award must have been indefinite. A Blue Badge in this case will be valid for one year.

These rules came into force in 2011 when the control of badges was transferred from LAs to national government. Before that date it is acknowledged that there was widespread abuse, badges were awarded according to local practice.

During the consultation period is was expected that the ‘planning and following journeys activity’ score would be included in England, Scotland and Wales but the final document excluded it in England. This exclusion made it far harder for people with a physical difficulty to automatically obtain a badge.

LAs are monitored on the frequency of discretionary awards.

For reference the 50 metre rule comes from 2c which obtains the required 8 points in the PIP assessment

MOBILITY ACTIVITIES

1. Planning and following journeys.
a. Can plan and follow the route of a journey unaided. 0 points.
b. Needs prompting to be able to undertake any journey to avoid overwhelming psychological distress to the claimant. 4 points.
c. Cannot plan the route of a journey. 8 points.
d. Cannot follow the route of an unfamiliar journey without another person, assistance dog or orientation aid. 10 points.
e. Cannot undertake any journey because it would cause overwhelming psychological distress to the claimant. 10 points.
f. Cannot follow the route of a familiar journey without another person, an assistance dog or an orientation aid. 12 points.

2. Moving around.
a. Can stand and then move more than 200 metres, either aided or unaided. 0 points.
b. Can stand and then move more than 50 metres but no more than 200 metres, either aided or unaided. 4 points.
c. Can stand and then move unaided more than 20 metres but no more than 50 metres. 8 points.
d. Can stand and then move using an aid or appliance more than 20 metres but no more than 50 metres. 10 points.
e. Can stand and then move more than 1 metre but no more than 20 metres, either aided or unaided. 12 points.
f. Cannot, either aided or unaided, –
(i) stand; or
(ii) move more than 1 metre. 12 points.

If anybody thinks they have a very strong case for a discretionary award it's worth asking for an assessment, the LA may suddenly reconsider the case as any assessment has to be paid for by the LA.

 

[Chewy]

Sorry if I offended anyone in my earlier post, I used the term" not a walking stick in sight ", I do understand that not all disabilities are visible but I was just trying to get a point over that some LA's don't take Alzheimers/Dementia as a disability. You can't see my dad has Vascular Dementia but if I'm not there to support him to walk anywhere he could full and cause more injury.


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