Disabled badge requirements?

[zoombini]

Can anyone tell me the qualifying requirements for a disabled badge or where online this can be found out in full?
(bluebadge.org is very uninformative in what it includes)

I have a very infirm relative who has great difficulties in walking that needs a lot of transporting. She has severe arthritis & cannot walk more than a few yards without great pain, yet we are unable to park anywhere near the stores to take her shopping.

[Paul K]

Anything of use here:
http://www.ddmc.org.uk/information.html

[zoombini]

I don't think so.
They use long words that make it sound like you canonly get one if your blind or cannot walk at all, yet I know that there are lesser conditions that allow people to get them, heck I had one years ago & I can walk OK.

I think I'm going to have to get her to see her doctor & find out if he agrees 1st, seeing as they will contact him, no point in applying if he will say no anyway.

[ian@huth]

Is your relative getting Disability Living Allowance or Attendance Allowance? If they are then it makes application for a blue badge much easier. If not they should consider making an application for DLA or AA (which one depends on age) if they can only walk a few yards before experiencing severe discomfort.

With the difficulty in walking that you describe it is worth contacting your local Social Services department for a blue badge application form.

I was going to suggest having a look at WWW.benefitsnow.co.uk for help with DLA and AA but if you are the same as me you will only get a HTTP Error 403.6 - Forbidden: IP address of the client has been rejected. Anyone else able to browse the site?

[Paul K]

How can you get a badge?
You can get a badge if:
†¢ you receive the higher rate of the mobility component of the
Disability Living Allowance
†¢ you receive a War Pensionersââ ¡Ãƒâ€šÃ‚¬ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚¢ Mobility Supplement
†¢ you use a motor vehicle supplied for disabled people by a
Government Health Department
†¢ you are registered blind
†¢ you have a severe disability in both upper limbs, regularly
drive a motor vehicle but cannot turn the steering wheel of a
motor vehicle by hand even if that wheel is fitted with a
turning knob
†¢ you have a permanent and substantial disability which means
you are unable to walk or have very considerable difficulty in
walking. In this case you may be asked to answer a series of
questions to help the local authority determine whether you
are eligible for a badge. People with a psychological
disorder will not normally qualify unless their impairment
causes very considerable, and not intermittent, difficulty in
walking.

You are right though, speak with the doctor first to make sure he agrees, then takl to the local benefits people, my dad was helped by someone who filled in the forms with him so that it could be pushed through as quickly as possible.

[Nugget]

Originally Posted by Paul

You are right though, speak with the doctor first to make sure he agrees, then takl to the local benefits people, my dad was helped by someone who filled in the forms with him so that it could be pushed through as quickly as possible.

Very good point - if you can actually get to see somebody at your local CAB, they will be able to get it sorted much quicker than if you try and wade through the info yourself.

My mum has a disabled badge for her car, and she sounds nothing like as 'bad' as your relative, Zoombini - I've also advised Mrs Nugs dad to apply for one 'through' his doctor as, lets face it' these things were invented to (hopefully) make life easier for the elderly or infirm.

[Paul K]

Originally Posted by Nugget

Very good point - if you can actually get to see somebody at your local CAB, they will be able to get it sorted much quicker than if you try and wade through the info yourself.

My mum has a disabled badge for her car, and she sounds nothing like as 'bad' as your relative, Zoombini - I've also advised Mrs Nugs dad to apply for one 'through' his doctor as, lets face it' these things were invented to (hopefully) make life easier for the elderly or infirm.

That's the idea behind them but it seems that these days you don't need a blue badge to park in disabled bays
All I can say is that if you or a member of your family needs a badge due to not being mobile or being unable to walk long distances without suffering unbearable pain then go for it. Our parents/ family members pay into the system all their working lives, they should at very least be able to go to the shops/ doctors/ hospital etc and be able to park close to their destination. Mobility is something we all take for granted until it's taken away from us

[zoombini]

Exactly, as for parking in thie disabled bays without them, I would rather walk further than park in them.

Only recently I had to take her to get a new fridge as hers had bust & ony she could sign the payment, so I had to park in a bay & got a damn ticket for it despite the wife sat waiting to catch the parking attendant to explain.
Damn bloodsuckers.

So I'm going to push her to get what she needs in the 1st place.

[Ramrod]

afaik if her GP is willing to say she's disabled then she can have the badge.....

[altis]

I'm sorry if this sounds callous but have you tried this zoombini?

Stop near the entrance to the shop and 'unload' your infirm relative. Provided there are no ticks on the curb then this is quite legal. Then drive off, find a parking place and walk back. On completion of the shopping repeat this in reverse.

[zoombini]

And return carrying a fridge?

It's not just then, its every week when taking her shopping, she cannot walk far. BYthe time I have found elsewhere to park she has been stood for ages & is now tired. her zimmer frame is little help.

[altis]

Originally Posted by zoombini

And return carrying a fridge?

This is the same problem faced by us all mate. I would suggest it is easiest to move the car to near the fridge first.

Originally Posted by zoombini

It's not just then, its every week when taking her shopping, she cannot walk far. BYthe time I have found elsewhere to park she has been stood for ages & is now tired. her zimmer frame is little help.

Fair point. I'm just trying to say that sometimes we create difficulties that aren't really there. Often, a solution is at hand but, because of conditioning, we can't always see it. I think this is a particularly British problem - I'm not sure why.

[roseandjim]

You could try your local council's website if they have one - ours is quite helpful

[zoombini]

Found app form on local council website, as I said, going to get her to see the doc 1st. If he thinks she qualifies then she can get one.
It's not for me, I dont need one I can & do make the extra effort to walk further.

perhaps I need to poke her eyes out 1st.