Refused a Blue Badge for Disabled Mum

[Bambooshoot]

My 88 year old mother has just been refused a blue badge (In case anyone is concerned, she has been to the doctor for other matters but got a full check up and is 100% cleared for driving in terms of eyesight and mental ability)

She is very much in need, as standing/walking for any length of time is extremely painful for her hips, and she is not able to shop online (we’ve tried, it is just too alien for her, she’s too scared of being scammed). She does her supermarket shop at 4am so can get a parking space close to the shop, and the effort knocks her out for a couple of days. She can’t shop for things like shoes or a winter coat in the town centre though, since the parking is so far away. She is missing the library, if she can’t park outside there is nowhere nearby so she can’t park and walk back - we gave her a kindle but she doesn’t really trust it, and just wants to see her friends in the library!

I don’t want to be grabby, but I would have thought the blue badge system was intended for people like this, as her quality of life is severely affected by not being able to access the town centre and the facilities she needs? Or am I missing something and blue badges are only given to people on death’s door? Basically, should we appeal the rejection and does anyone have any experience of doing this if so??

My application was turned down despite a doctors letter supporting me. I got it on appeal. My appeal email was about 6 paragraphs long and detailed every problem I have due to my condition. Every little thing. Definitely appeal & as someone else said base it on her worst days

Local Authorities differ in how strict (or ignorant) they are.
My FIL (blind, had a stroke, bowel cancer, could not walk unaided) was refused because the assessor decided he wasn't sufficiently disabled.
I had to reapply and provide not just the letter from his GP, but a supporting letter from all the specialists who had looked after him for his various conditions.
Even then I had to drag him out in the cold and rain so that somebody in an office could look at him.
This was in London. My own parents in a village in the north east had no trouble getting theirs.
It is worth reapplying and providing as much supporting evidence as you can get.

She's too old to claim DLA/PIP, and Attendance Allowance has no impact with a BB application.

It will need some sort of examination or consultant/GP backup.

I assess for Blue Badges, it is entirely based on how far you are able to walk, if you put down a distance which is too far then we are not able to award a badge. Doctors letters and hospital evidence are not used at the initial assessment but are taken into account at the appeal stage. So I assume your brother put down a walking distance that was further than the regulations allow. I suggest you appeal

You are spot on, I don't claim any benefit, so a copy of xray results and physio information was accepted.
It probably depends on the borough?

Another way nowadays is to access the NHS app and find the consultant letters she might have had over the years.
So let’s say a report showing she has arthritis (X-rays). One from a consultant on managing pain etc….
These are all ‘proof’ that she is struggling with certain conditions.

Id also have a look at the criteria and find relevant stuff (incl what she says) that answers those specific targets iyswim

I do a lot of Blue Badge applications for people and rarely have one refused. Well I did have one refused recently but the woman could walk her dog to the park and be out for an hour albeit stopping to sit on park benches. I would definately appeal . Did you sent medical evidence in so GP summary outfling her conditions, medications, prescription list, hospital letters. ?

I disagree.

When I had my assessment, I was specifically asked to give consultant letters.

its very variable from one LA to the next.

Our LA will take dr and hospital letters into account at the initial stage. My eldest has a bb, he can walk miles but not necessarily in the right direction and runs off or stips (often in the middle of the road) he has incontinence and needs at least one person with him at all times, he qualifies for hrm mental impairment which doesn't automatically qualify for a bb. He's 32. No one has ever assessed him, just taken a GP letter.

It’s also actually what answers you’ve given to the questions!
agree if she has any hospital/clinic consultations
ask for letters of them
it’s not all about just walking, it can be the anxiety it causes her also

also each county has there own rules

My son was recently refused. I wrote to my mp. Then got a new email within a week that it was now accepted.

Definitely appeal. I got a BB last year. The application was initially turned down, but I sent in an appeal, with a GP letter, and then I had a phone call assessment with them and was granted a badge.

I can't walk very far sometimes due to hip and knee pain and dizziness . I can't get into my car unless I can open the door wide and it was really limiting me leaving the house and going places.

I got my freedom back with my BB and I am so relieved and it has made life so much better for me

If your FIL is registered blind, he's automatically entitled to a BB

Part of my job is helping people fill out the blue badge forms. Often the most difficult ones to do are for those in their late 80s and older. The system works best if you have a diagnosed condition and are receiving some form of treatment. Those who are just struggling with an aging body but no particular condition don't tick the boxes as easily. They also tend to be the ones who will struggle on with minimum walking aids and over estimate what they can do (the number of times I have had someone say they can walk a distance and their adult child sat with them saying 'no you can't Mum'!)
Those that point up the blue badge applications can only use the answers given and are not trying to avoid giving out badges it's just not a system that works well for everyone. Definitely appeal and if needed they can do an assessment so they can see how much a badge is needed.

When you submit the appeal, be sure to include a description of how your mother is unable to walk without pain, where she has the pain, any dizziness or any breathlessness she experiences when trying to walk, whether she feels unsafe and unsteady; any stiffness. Talk about needing to stop and rest frequently, any other symptoms experienced. Does your mother experience falls or tripping? You could also include info on how the lack of independence affects her.

I think they take into account if an applicant can do things reliably and in a reasonable period of time; from my own experiences with disability, I can't walk without pain, breathlessness, tripping & falling, and I'm very slow.

Good luck!

does she get attendance allowance?

My 89 year old father has just got a blue badge. Approved within 2-3 weeks. My sister helped him fill it in. His mobility is very poor but like lots of things he has better days than others and he really was trying to present best case scenario when filling it in and was told he had to put worst case scenario. Plus he has deteriorated significantly within the last 6 months so definitely likely to get worse.

You definitely need to appeal.

If everyone over the age of 80 had a blue badge there wouldn't be enough spaces. In this particular case however I would appeal. It's not the age. It's the incapacity

Walking round a supermarket and needing a blue badge as a non wheelchair user unless it's something like copd contradict each other. If she has told them then that won't have helped her claim.

That’s NOT quite true.
Speed at which you walk as well as the impact of the walk (eg you can but will then be in pain/exhausted for days etc…) will also be taken into account.

Keep pushing / appeal but the system is insane

My mum got refused one despite being unable to walk. They refused because she was on the waiting list for a hip replacement and their policy is no blue badges to people on waiting list for an op that might cure the disability. After only a year and a half on the waiting list for the op, they replaced her hip and said yeah you still have mobility problems you can apply for a blue badge now.

😐

You can also be awarded for a disability that is not to do with mobility - or is an "invisible disability" - can you not? I applied for my 90 year old DF who has Alzheimer's, heart failure, extreme deafness and two forms of arthritis. I focused on the hearing issue mostly as he is not safe walking across car parks and can't hear vehicles. The alzheimer's and heart failure (causing breathlessness when walking) was a consideration but not nearly as much as his deafness. He can walk reasonable well, although is a bit unsteady. They wrote to his GP and he was awarded BB, without an in person assessment. This is another thing the forms said, that you don't always get called in for assessment.

OP, do appeal.

Could she use a mother and toddler space? These are usually close to the store

DH is in a similar position, he's waiting for a double hip replacement, can hardly walk anymore but because he's mid 30s, he's low priority.

He can do things online but he's missing out on so much stuff (kicking a ball around with DS, going to the park, doing sport, spending time with his friends etc etc). We're at the point where he can't even pop to the shop if we're out of something and I'm busy with DS.

DH can't get a badge because his 'disability' can be fixed within 3 years