Blue badge

[feelingmean21]

My friend applied for a blue badge as they scored 12 for mobility for PIP, and according to the government website they are automatically entitled.

They received an email back refusing them, saying they needed to get " 10 points exactly under the “planning and following a journey” activity with a descriptor mentioning severe psychological or mental distress." They received 12 points for this - the maximum.

What can they do?

In England to automatically qualify under the "planning and following a journey" criteria you need 10 points exactly for being unable to undertake any journey because it would cause overwhelming psychological distress.

If your friend got 10 points for not being able to travel to an unfamiliar place without someone else or 12 points for planning and following a journey they can still apply but will have to be assessed rather than it being automatic.

However, in Scotland and Wales your friend would automatically be entitled to a BB.

@10brokengreenbottles thank you, I have looked it up for her and see you are correct, it seems weird that she got two more points and is ineligible, it's not logical.

I just looked at the application but there was nothing about planning a journey.

OP the government's rationale is that it is a different need. Someone with 12 points may not have considerable difficulties when someone is with them. You may find this interesting. Personally I agree with Wales and Scotland's stance.

Cherry the PIP activity is "planning and following a journey". In England, to qualify automatically, you need to score 10 points for being unable to undertake a journey due to overwhelming psychological distress. This is an automatic entitlement regardless of what LA you live in. If you know of one that is breaking the law I would be interested to know where.