It's a Blue Badge one!

[ImSoExhausted]

Yesterday we got our wonderful mobility car for our pre-school age DS. We've applied for a blue badge but it's going to take up to 2 months to arrive apparently! I couldn't do it before hand because you need the reg number of the car.

Would IBU to park in a disabled bay when my son is with me and put his High Rate Mobility award notice in the window, with another sign saying 'waiting for blue badge to arrive!' or should I just wait it out??

Until we have it, I won't be able to take DS to shops by myself, he's severely autistic, is a runner and extremely strong so I'd find it difficult to get him safely to a trolley/into his SEN pram in the middle of a car park.

Your badge is being processed so just do as you’ve suggested.

It sounds reasonable to me

You can’t park without a blue badge in a blue badge space. I know it’s annoying but it’s a really important law to follow especially if, like us, you are a family with a blue badge holder. The high rate mobility award does not entitle you to use the space, you can get a blue badge without the mobility award.

However, the blue badge is transferrable to any car the holder uses, you don’t have to give the number plate. We use it in hire cars, my parent’s car, friend’s cars. Any car my son goes in the blue badge goes too as it is issued to him and not the car. While this doesn’t help your current situation it may help in the future.

I think in a supermarket you should be fine as they are private and a lot more forgiving. Be careful with council traffic wardens though. We went on holiday to Devon one year and had my mum and dad with us. I put my mums bluebage in the window after Parkin for in a disabled bag on the seafront and got a parking ticket because I hadn't set the clock to the correct time.

Also in my mums experience, once she had had the initial assessment, her blue badge arrived quite quickly.

Oh okay! That's good! There's a notorious Facebook group in my area that likes to upload pictures of people parking like a twat, their most common theme is judging blue badge holders and whether they 'look' disabled. Was just worried I meant end up on their page if I didn't have the proper badge displayed! But all the info is on the award notice so i guess it should be okay 🤞🏻

Sorry; that should have read "after parking in a disabled bay on the seafront"!

Yes to what Hairy Maclary said.

And don’t park in a blue badge space, even while you are waiting for a badge, you may get ticketed. The spaces are for people with badges, not those waiting for them.

In my experience, the badges arrive much sooner than the two months they claim.

@HairyMaclary I know you can apply without HRM but it is one of the criteria so doesn't that make him automatically eligible? Would you be annoyed to see the award notice detailing HRC and HRM mobility with a sign explaining we're waiting for the badge?

I know it's transferable, but I definitely had to enter our number plate in. Trying to get a passport style photograph of him was an absolute nightmare as well

Don't do it in council car parks or any one that you feel might be highly litigious, that's notorious for fines just in case.

Supermarket car parks that are free to park in would be fine, and in fact I think our local one says you can park there if you need one even if you don't have a blue badge.

I'd only be using it for the local supermarket now, haven't passed my test yet so my Dad is chaperoning me whilst I take DS on short trips to get him used to the new car

Not all parking spaces are blue badge just disabled spaces but what you have said you are going to do is fine if you are unsure use P& C . Is it really going to take 2 months to come through first application mine took under a month to come.

Don't do it in council car parks or any one that you feel might be highly litigious, that's notorious for fines just in case

This you really don't want fined or clamped

Can you use p and c at the supermarket instead?

Do you actually need the space around the disabled space or do you just want to be near the doors? In which case, could you use any bay as long as it's near the doors?

Otherwise P&C.

And don't ever give a council traffic warden a chance to ticket you. They hate blue badges and do their utmost to catch you out.

Oh and for supermarkets - as mentioned, P&C if you need the bigger bays - but otherwise, online shopping?

You should use the most convenient parking space and if it's a disabled bay do as you've suggested until the blue badge comes.

It tells you when you apply that you cannot use the parking spaces without the badge. You'll end up with a fine.

l'd only be using it for the local supermarket now, haven't passed my test yet so my Dad is chaperoning me whilst I take DS on short trips to get him used to the new car

Don't think your allowed passengers when you're a learner driver ImSoExhausted

@ParkheadParadise you most certainly are

When driving, you must be accompanied by someone aged over 21 who has held a full driving licence for at least three years.
The person accompanying you must sit in the front passenger seat and be fit to drive.

I got so many tickets doing what you propose. None of them got cancelled either. Bastards.

Blue Badge spaces are ONLY for people who have a Blue Badge to display.

Just use parent and child spaces until your child's Blue Badge arrives.

Sometimes they are closer to the entrance than Blue Badge spaces anyway and they have almost as much room to get in and out.

@newtothismarriagething
I knew you had to be accompanied by someone over 21 in the front seat,but I wasn't aware you could carry extra passangers in the back.

If it’s only to the supermarket and there are no P&C spaces, I would drive up and park at the pick up/drop off point and get your dad to park in a normal parking space. Would that work? My badge took a lot less than 2 months to come through. Maybe 2 weeks.

I know you can apply without HRM but it is one of the criteria so doesn't that make him automatically eligible? Would you be annoyed to see the award notice detailing HRC and HRM mobility with a sign explaining we're waiting for the badge?

You're right. Assuming you're in England if your DS gets higher rate DLA mob he'll be automatically entitled to a blue badge (nb in case anyone's interested it's not the same for PIP which treats people differently depending on whether they have scored points for physical or mental issues).

The rules are in reg 4 of the Disabled Persons (Badges for Motor Vehicles) (England) Regulations 2000.

So I would say you're definitely morally entitled to a space, but I suppose you might still be unlucky and be ticketed 🤷‍♀️