Disabled badge - spitting feathers!
Discussion
Bad start to the day - my mum texted me to say that her application for a disabled badge has been turned down. Are you ducking kidding me? She’s 87 with a prosthetic hip and had a fall earlier this year that fractured her pelvis, walks badly with a stick for limited distances. She only goes out in her car occasionally, it’s not like she’s going to be a burden on the availability of disabled parking spaces.
I filled out an application for her when I was in the UK back in June, contacted the health centre and got documentation about the fractured pelvis, was completely truthful and took the whole process seriously. I never imagined that they would take 10 weeks to then refuse her application. Over here in the US they hand these out to malingerers with for an ingrown toenail ffs!
Anyone have any advice on how to make them see sense? I know going postal is not the answer, but I’m still at that stage of reflection.
I filled out an application for her when I was in the UK back in June, contacted the health centre and got documentation about the fractured pelvis, was completely truthful and took the whole process seriously. I never imagined that they would take 10 weeks to then refuse her application. Over here in the US they hand these out to malingerers with for an ingrown toenail ffs!
Anyone have any advice on how to make them see sense? I know going postal is not the answer, but I’m still at that stage of reflection.
I have applied twice for a blue badge and been refused twice. I had my left lower jaw rebuilt due to cancer, and the donor site was my left leg. I now have only one bone below the left knee and a sizeable (think fist) lump of flesh and skin all went into making me a new face.
This left me walking with a stick, pain after a while on my feet, and difficulty getting in and out of a car because of a lack of manoeuvrability. Yet I was refused a badge.
The examination consisted entirely of questions about shortness of breath, etc, not about trouble walking or pain. I had to go on a walk with the examiner while she trotted along by my side and filled in a tick box questionnaire. She asked me so many times if I was out of breath that in the end I had to reply that I would very much like to walk far enough and fast enough to get out of breath. That wasn’t the problem.
I was at the doctor’s a couple of months ago and mentioned this, and said that I thought it was inflexible and unfair, and she told me it was my fault for doing it all wrong. She said apply again and when they ask if I am out of breath just answer yes. But I’m not, I said. The doctor said this was exactly why I didn’t have a blue badge and why so many of her other (and undeserving) patients did - I was being honest.
So, if you want a blue badge the answer is clear. Just lie through your teeth and own up to any symptom they ask you about. Honesty doesn’t pay.
This left me walking with a stick, pain after a while on my feet, and difficulty getting in and out of a car because of a lack of manoeuvrability. Yet I was refused a badge.
The examination consisted entirely of questions about shortness of breath, etc, not about trouble walking or pain. I had to go on a walk with the examiner while she trotted along by my side and filled in a tick box questionnaire. She asked me so many times if I was out of breath that in the end I had to reply that I would very much like to walk far enough and fast enough to get out of breath. That wasn’t the problem.
I was at the doctor’s a couple of months ago and mentioned this, and said that I thought it was inflexible and unfair, and she told me it was my fault for doing it all wrong. She said apply again and when they ask if I am out of breath just answer yes. But I’m not, I said. The doctor said this was exactly why I didn’t have a blue badge and why so many of her other (and undeserving) patients did - I was being honest.
So, if you want a blue badge the answer is clear. Just lie through your teeth and own up to any symptom they ask you about. Honesty doesn’t pay.
Anything of this sort of nature needs to be played upon.
Wife has a blue badge and a disabled bus pass but despite having one sided cerebral palsy, had to fight for 15 years to get PIP yet 2 people who used to live near us went crying to their GP's that lockdown had given them severe anxiety and both got blue badges and highest rate benefits you can get and are out shopping all the time while we struggle because we work and don't sponge off the government.
The system is broken and rewards deception and lies.
Wife has a blue badge and a disabled bus pass but despite having one sided cerebral palsy, had to fight for 15 years to get PIP yet 2 people who used to live near us went crying to their GP's that lockdown had given them severe anxiety and both got blue badges and highest rate benefits you can get and are out shopping all the time while we struggle because we work and don't sponge off the government.
The system is broken and rewards deception and lies.
loskie said:
sad that aint it and so wrong. Britain is truly fkd up.
I dont think any political party or the nhs care though! I didn't think Labour would wave a magic wand and fix everything, I didn't even vote for them. But I am not optimistic about the future of the UK over the next 2-3 decades! No one in any sort of power gives a fk anymore!
slopes said:
Anything of this sort of nature needs to be played upon.
Wife has a blue badge and a disabled bus pass but despite having one sided cerebral palsy, had to fight for 15 years to get PIP yet 2 people who used to live near us went crying to their GP's that lockdown had given them severe anxiety and both got blue badges and highest rate benefits you can get and are out shopping all the time while we struggle because we work and don't sponge off the government.
The system is broken and rewards deception and lies.
Uber drivers in London seem to get them easily, and PCO register motobility cars, the country is being taken over, starting with London. Its beyond broken.Wife has a blue badge and a disabled bus pass but despite having one sided cerebral palsy, had to fight for 15 years to get PIP yet 2 people who used to live near us went crying to their GP's that lockdown had given them severe anxiety and both got blue badges and highest rate benefits you can get and are out shopping all the time while we struggle because we work and don't sponge off the government.
The system is broken and rewards deception and lies.
Born and bred in London, Irish decent, what is going on here I see everyday, like council owned homes being sold outside of right to buy, Ulez scams through religious buildings, the motobility private hire scam, with a labour Govt now in it is time for fight or flight. People need to open their eyes.
THE DISCUSSION IS NOT FOR THIS THREAD, KEEP IT ON TOPIC
I was on the highest rate PIP for a while, but because I truthfully admitted I could just about walk 200 metres aided, knocked back for Blue Badge. A few doors away, they have two, using them on multiple categorized cars, different ones every few days, but walk half a mile to the station, to go pick up another.
The criteria for automatic qualification is quite clear. There is then a long list of criteria which can get you a badge at their discretion. I guess they have seen far too many of them being used incorrectly and have tightened up. Look at the list of automatic qualification and play on that. Apply for DLA or a PIP and once you have that bobs your uncle
If you’ve been refused a Blue Badge, you can ask for the decision to be reviewed by the council.
https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/sick-or...
If the blue badge is still refused, then you/your mother can contact the local government ombudsman (see the above link).
Some people deserve the blue badge but do not get it, many others get it (and permit it to be used) by exagerating their needs.
No government can get this country right until every citizen 'does the right thing', rather than learns to 'game the system'.
https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/sick-or...
If the blue badge is still refused, then you/your mother can contact the local government ombudsman (see the above link).
Some people deserve the blue badge but do not get it, many others get it (and permit it to be used) by exagerating their needs.
No government can get this country right until every citizen 'does the right thing', rather than learns to 'game the system'.
BunkMoreland said:
loskie said:
sad that aint it and so wrong. Britain is truly fkd up.
I dont think any political party or the nhs care though! I didn't think Labour would wave a magic wand and fix everything, I didn't even vote for them. But I am not optimistic about the future of the UK over the next 2-3 decades! No one in any sort of power gives a fk anymore!
The latter I think.
languagetimothy said:
My late mother had one (UK) and they are very useful, even when traveling in someone else’s car.. Did they give a reason for not issuing?
I was completely honest about my mums ability to walk a couple of hundred metres slowly with a stick or walker because I didn’t for a moment think that they would refuse the application.
I notice the breathlessness issue noted there too, will have to think about how to play that. My mum is taking a heart medication too, but I included that in the application. Bunch of tossers.
craigjm said:
The criteria for automatic qualification is quite clear. There is then a long list of criteria which can get you a badge at their discretion. I guess they have seen far too many of them being used incorrectly and have tightened up. Look at the list of automatic qualification and play on that. Apply for DLA or a PIP and once you have that bobs your uncle
Don’t know what DLA or PIP are yet, but will look at the auto qualification approach, thanks.craigjm said:
The criteria for automatic qualification is quite clear. There is then a long list of criteria which can get you a badge at their discretion. I guess they have seen far too many of them being used incorrectly and have tightened up. Look at the list of automatic qualification and play on that. Apply for DLA or a PIP and once you have that bobs your uncle
You are so wrong, Pip does not guarantee a blue badge, you can tick every box on the criteria and still not get one. A lot depends on the area you are applying for.This costs councils money, they have a limited budget, they are also the victims of you not paying for parking.
In lots of areas it is if your face fits you get one, and I am not saying that lightly, I went through the whole process, appeals and all, I see it every day in London, corruption of the highest order. Trying to expose it is futile
ITV news exposed one of the ULEZ scams, it appeared on the evening bulliten, they did not mention how it was done, just TFL staff would change the status of your car for a fee, showed the call being made to them, it was buried before the 10pm news programme.
None of the vehicles have been removed from the database, my mate is still driving around in hislete nineties BMW, diesel my neighbour in an older one, another in his Euro 5 Transit recovery truck, and not paying a penny.
Honestly, this country is sleep walking into,,,,,,,,,, beliving everything they are told. Last one out turn off the lights now we have reds.
Rayny said:
If you’ve been refused a Blue Badge, you can ask for the decision to be reviewed by the council.
https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/sick-or...
Yep will look at the review process, I like the “letter from a doctor” approach. Any sensible doc would see that she’s a deserving recipient of a blue badge. https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/sick-or...
Just have to get her to go to the doctor now, god she can be stubborn about this kind of thing, that’s why I had to fill out the application form for her. “Oh, I wont be able to get an appointment for 6 months etc”…
I saw a bloke making a spritely exit from the local magistrates court & hop straight into his handily parked new car complete with blue badge. Whenever this type of thing is mentioned on PH the knives come out with lots of excuses about could have emphysema etc but I think sometimes we can see with our own eyes who’s tasking the piss 
anyoldcardave said:
craigjm said:
The criteria for automatic qualification is quite clear. There is then a long list of criteria which can get you a badge at their discretion. I guess they have seen far too many of them being used incorrectly and have tightened up. Look at the list of automatic qualification and play on that. Apply for DLA or a PIP and once you have that bobs your uncle
You are so wrong, Pip does not guarantee a blue badge, you can tick every box on the criteria and still not get one. A lot depends on the area you are applying for.Gassing Station | Health Matters | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff