How high is the threshold for blue badges?

I applied for a blue badge for my late MIL this time last year. Her mobility was less of a problem than the need for supervision ( due to rapidly deteriorating vascular dementia). She had a lot of pain, but would ignore it and power through, and she could probably walk further than I can. Pretty sure I wouldn't qualify, even though being without one restricts the places I can visit. Anyway, hers was issued without me needing to ask for corroboration from any of the doctors who'd cared for her.

I can empathise with that! For several years my mum didn't apply for Attendance Allowance because she 'didn't like to ask'. This was despite really needing it! I eventually printed off the forms and helped her fill them in.

My mum was of the view that there's 'always someone worse off' which is obviously true but that doesn't mean you don't apply for things you're entitled to receive.

I believe supporting evidence must be from consultants not GPs anymore.

Apply! We got one for my father a few years ago. We asked the GP for a letter in support (which was a two line description of his condition - he has arthritis). Submitted that, his prescription and attendance allowance letter, and it went through.

When completing the form, use the same words as on the GPs letter to describe the medical condition, then explain the daily implications of that. Good luck! And don’t forget it needs renewing!

We got one recently for MIL. We got a full medical history from the GP and used it to fill the form in ourselves. MIL has mobility issues and dementia. Blue badge awarded and received within about four weeks.

My DH had qualified for a Blue Badge three times before but the last time it needed renewing it took four months as our council kept rejecting his applications even though his condition had not changed.
Our doctors will not send medical information unless the council request it and our council will not ask the doctors for anything but if the surgery send it to them they will accept it.
In the end a member of staff at the surgery supplied a Patient Summary and it was accepted.
It needs renewing next year and I am already not looking forward to it.

29 points under general living and 12 under mobility but my council will only issue blue badges if you can't walk 20 metres. He got all his 12 points on not being able to plan a journey independently. I appealed to council but that got rejected too. It's frustrating because another child who is nowhere near as bad as him at his previous school got one from his council (different county) for having 12 points for not being able to plan a journey alone. Each council interprets rules differently.

Did he get 12 points on the mobility component of PIP or just daily living?

If he has 12 points for mobility he would automatically qualify for a blue badge without an assessment.

I would definitely question the decision and appeal it if possible.

I think it depends on the authority/person looking at the application. I applied online for my dad and he was given one straight away (Parkinson's).

Mum (arthritis) applied in person and was refused first time. Six months later they decided she was genuine and that they would give her one.

I talked to my fathers gp last year as his story was similar to you mother, also cognitive decline so no longer drives, but he has carers/family that drive him places, he has osteo arthritis in knees, and other body parts- one knee replaced over ten years ago, some days his mobility is good enough he's very slow but can hobble about for a fair distance, others very poor, that's why i thought he wouldn't be entitled to badge. The cognitive impairment means he won't use a stick , and when back sore his balance can be off, it also makes it hard to get into car if door not fully open, he got to stage of not doing any exercise which is bad for his knees and back, and if weather bad he is worried about leaves on ground or wet, he cancelled appointments like dentist,meeting friends, anyway gp said it's all about the mobility -he can't walk far enough on a bad day , that was what we should focus on not pain or other factors, and distance he could easily cover was so limited he was entitled to badge, we applied and got badge.
i'd apply worst case she doesn't get one.

@caringcarer there are two criteria you can apply under - one is for invisible disability which it sounds as if your foster son would be eligible for. Applying under the wrong criteria means you get rejected.

@tobyj it sounds like it would be really helpful for your mum so worth a try.

My mum had one and the major factor in her application was that you needed the extra space round the car and proximity to the entrance as her dementia made her very unpredictable and before her badge you were searching for a space with no one next to you (but not too far as she was walking with crutches) as she'd slam the door into other cars or hit them with her crutches. Or stand in the road in front of people. Dad got one too as his heart failure made him so breathless he could walk only a tiny way before having to rest.
But mums physical restriction was the pain too, so I'd just put down how far she can walk, speed, pain levels, and MCI if it causes issues with safety.

Try again- he can’t walk 20m without supervision, that’s the crux.

It’s speed and distance that count, not pain. I can’t walk very far but have no pain.

Ive got a blue badge.

My Mum had one, mobility was very restricted due to arthritis and heart disease (also, being as round as a pound, but tbh if it hurts to exercise and you've got diabetes, not always that easy not to be).
Deffo worth it, meant she could do so much more, concerts, museums etc, people were so helpful.

I think she would qualify
The mental decline counts too
Apply anyway but get her a gp appointment as they will need proof of her recent conditions
You may need to pay for the report but it will be worth it.
On another note, she may be eligible for attendance allowance so do check that out too

My mom was very similar. She had arthritis, she could potter around the house, and walk short distances, but was finding it increasingly difficult to manage anything more. I helped her to apply for a blue badge, she got one with no quibbling.

Definitely apply now, in my Borough there is a waiting list of a few months (hard to recruit staff and creating backlogs) so it's worth applying now.

Dementia can certainly be a ‘need’ factor. My Dm could still walk short distances slowly, but I could never e.g. drop her anywhere while I went to park a bit too far away for her to walk, even if it was only for 5 minutes - she’d forget within seconds that I’d soon be back and get into a complete panic.

Luckily when she was mostly at this stage there was a care home blue badge to borrow if needed. While she was still at home she didn’t have one, but then we could so rarely persuade her to leave the house at all anyway.

@caringcarer my ds is a similar chap, talk to your MP.

@PinkPlantCase I asked the college at beginning of last year and they told me I must apply for a blue badge. I did apply but got turned down. I went back to college and asked again but was told they don't have enough spaces but if I have a blue badge they have to give me access. It's ok in the summer but if it gets slippery/snowy it's more difficult. If he didn't have learning disabilities I could drop him just before the barrier and he could walk down on his own but I can't risk he won't walk behind a reversing car or something similar. The barrier is not manned you have to wave a blue card in front of a sensor and it recognises it somehow and the barrier goes up.

I applied for a blue badge a couple of months ago and to my complete surprise I got one.

I have rheumatoid arthritis, I filled in the online form and uploaded copies of my prescription.

I had to describe my ability to walk, which I did honestly. Describing the pain, the pausing to straighten up and the time it took me.

I applied to the council, once accepted I paid the fee and uploaded a photograph.

@caringcarer are you sure the college can’t make allowances?

When I was at uni I had an accessible parking permit that let me park in the universities disabled parking bays, it was part of reasonable adjustment for a chronic illness. I do not think I would have qualified for a blue badge. I would expect a college to do similar.