To be utterly, utterly appalled by Nimbus/Access card registration?

[JelliedFish]

Personal information about my child’s disability is sensitive. I’ve already shared documents/proof with DLA.

In order to register for an Access card, I need to share details again. Photographic copies of doctors letters etc are requested.

Surely the government DLA/Carers allowance letter is sufficient proof already?

Then we come to the +1. This is very ambiguously worded, but it seems that different venues have different criteria as to what counts as a ‘+1’. Meaning that some venues acknowledge you as a carer, and others don’t. Therefore some give you free entry as a carer, and others don’t offer this as they have specific wording to ‘wriggle out’ of acknowledging your role as a carer.

But my biggest problem is that they try and persuade you to pay £15 to register with them!

So surely, they are making a business out of people with disabilities?? Why do you need to ‘prove’ your disability again for their business?

This just seems so wrong to me!!

@Hercisback1

I’d rather they didn’t offer concessionary tickets if that is prompting them to deny that my DC needs a carer on his ‘Access card’!!

I’d rather it was standardised.

I’d rather the government makes the decision as to what constitutes a carer with no ambiguity on that status.

This should NOT be decided by businesses up and down the country stating that an Access card is the ONLY way to prove that status/meaning they can manoeuvre the goalposts to suit themselves.

2 of my children have Access Cards. They have been a huge help to accessing venues. However 1 child has +1 and the other doesn't, it doesn't impact our use of the cards or attendance at venues. Just that 1 child at some venues has a free carer and other venues the "carer" pays either discounted or full price. But it allows them to attend places that we couldn't dream about entering without the cards. I dislike taking the DLA and allowing some random person at a till or gate seeing our financial information. At least Nimbus is regulated and was created by people that experienced the system. The £15 is quite simply an Admin fee which you have to pay for many other things as a disabled person, such as the Blue Badge. If £15 is going to allow us spontaneity and ease of access and use of many attractions then we will take it.

Ok I get the issue. Your DCs card hasn't got the plus one on it so you don't get the free ticket for carers.

But the venues aren't weaselling out of giving you a free ticket by what wording they use. The wording is irrelevant. No venue has to give free carers tickets at all, that's up to the individual business. They don't have to give anyone a free ticket, they're a private money-making enterprise.

Some venues do offer free tickets to carers, and it's great those businesses choose to acknowledge that disabled people need that help the others don't; but it's not a requirement that they do. What the government consider you as is irrelevant to them. It's a 'perk' (not the right word to use but I can't think of another one), it's not a right, not for anyone.

@JelliedFish when you say * "A person with disabilities should be able to wake up and access a venue in the same way as any other citizen. * " not having an Access card simply means you have the same access to venues as everyone else, at the same cost. Having an Access card means you may get access at reduced cost. So if you're choosing not to get an Access card that's your choice.

And with disabilities you often can't plan in advance, you might not now until the day if you are going to make it or not so you can't always take advantage of early bird prices or online discounts.
I went to a theme park the other day even with a free carer pass the entry for one was over twice the price of booking in advance so I still paid more.

@JelliedFish

A person with disabilities should be able to wake up and access a venue in the same way as any other citizen.

Not having a +1 for your DC on an access card puts you in that exact position.

@GoldieRetrieverLocks I agree wholeheartedly. And £5 a year is absolutely nothing. Take a theme park for example… a ticket for an adult would cost £30 approx… and the Access card is just £5 a year!

I think OP is just disgruntled because they haven’t been granted the ‘+1’ on the optional card 🙄

Since Covid lots of venues have become pre bookable activities. Swimming, museums etc.

It is not just disabled people or carers who have to book for some venues. Recently, visited the City without DS and wanted to go to a museum.
Rocked up with DD to be informed we had to book on line. Neither of us had a signal on our phones. Chap said have far fewer staff and stop walk ins after a certain time.

It does take away spontaneity and fun.
I know for DS we have to go when he is well so it does make it difficult

Although, I managed to get tickets to a show for him on the day by phoning the ATG access line.

I found it easy to apply for and very useful also the CEA card for the cinema just as easy

@nothingcomestonothing

Yes that’s fair enough. Don’t offer a concessionary ticket, but still - please - acknowledge that my DC has carer needs on his card!!

If the government were issuing that card, there is no doubt that the box would be ticked.

Many, many venues across the UK would recognise my role as a carer.

The reasoning behind unticking that box concerns me greatly. What is the motive?

And the increasing number of venues that then require? demand? make it mandatory to have an Access card as proof of your disabilities - is wrong, especially as it gives them the opportunity to untick that box!

I have no doubt there was good intention behind the Access card, I have no doubt that it was originally to facilitate access.
But with venues DECIDING the criteria for meeting a disability standard, this gives the opportunity for unfairness.

I think you are being a bit naive about how the system is being abused already and why attractions and venues would want to be extremely careful about who can access the free carers tickets.

I know a family extremely well where three children have autism. Their mother always tries to claim a carers ticket to take them to attractions but this is literally a cost cutting measure. The children are too young to enter the attractions unaccompanied and they are able to access almost all elements of the attractions. They always stay a full day and actually are able to access more rides etc than everyone else because they also have ride access passes. I know this sounds like a mean spirited anecdote but people like this genuinely exist and are trying to manipulate the system. This is what NIMBUS and the attractions are up against! The mother would qualify as a carer for benefits purposes but she isn't in need of a free carer's ticket at a theme park. The attractions are relying on NIMBUS to be able to differentiate between the two where necessary so that they don't end up allocating what is sometimes a scarce resource (there often are a limited number of disability passes/tickets) to the right people and to make sure that the fast access queues etc aren't unnecessarily lengthened by people that don't actually need to use them.

If you don't believe me that people are out to scam the system then look at Disney in America and how their DAS was abused. This has led to a crackdown on what conditions qualify and has undoubtedly let to some disabled people feeling that they now can't access the parks.

@Bumpitybumper

But I would still view your friend with 3 autistic children as a carer. She should still have that status if the government recognise her as a carer.

The issue is - therefore - to not offer concessionary tickets.

But I don’t think anyone’s status as a carer should ever be taken away, once it has already been officially decided by the government.

I don't have the same access as many places charge for carers

I'd have to pay more as I can't plan in advance

I agree with you. She is still factually a carer but she isn't in need of a free carer's ticket at the moment for most attractions. The problem is that it's really difficult for venues to judge this if someone just turns up on the day with proof they are a carer for benefits purposes. This is why something like Nimbus is in an obvious position to add some value as they can take the time to properly assess each claim and identify who is genuinely in need of the specific concession of a free guest pass to attractions. Once you have it on your card then you wouldn't feel the need to keep proving it over and over again plus there would be better access to the limited disability concessions as there is a likelihood that some of the more spurious claims are denied.

Perhaps they could have two categories where they acknowledge that someone is a carer and then state whether they qualify for the free pass or not?

@Bumpitybumper

“Perhaps they could have two categories where they acknowledge that someone is a carer and then state whether they qualify for the free pass or not?”

Yes. I absolutely think that needs clarification.

And it just shouldn’t be about a free pass. It’s about recognising that my DC needs me or another person to assist with his mobility, safety, communication, personal care, basic needs. Particularly in a venue that is busy, noisy, lots of sensory input. I WANT him to go as I don’t want him to miss out on a friend’s celebration.

They're a business. They don't have to offer any concessions.

I think this is an attempt to standardise.

Again, it sounds like you'd have to pay as a parent due to your child's age. Sometimes you need to accept that.

I think if you continue with this campaign, carers passes will dissappear altogether whereas this is an attempt to find out who really needs the plus 1 and who would have to attend anyway.

@Bumpitybumper

I don’t agree that Nimbus are ‘properly assessing each claim”.

The government were very stringent with the assessment, and I feel that has already been done.

I think Nimbus are allowing venues to then adjust that assessment to suit them. This could be done positively, this could be done negatively. This leaves it open to ambiguity.

If you want him to go and don't want to share evidence, book 2 full price tickets.

@JelliedFish Who says that they aren’t? Access may be stating that they don’t need the ‘+1’ element, but not necessarily stating they aren’t a carer! I can’t see anything on their website that suggests that they are stating you aren’t a carer by not awarding this:

Essential Companions

• This symbol is awarded to people for whom it would be significantly difficult to access services without support from another person.
• You must be able to show that the support you need is substantial, significant or frequent, and directly related to your needs as a disabled person, and that without extra support you would receive a lesser service.
• It may mean an essential companion ticket, or it may mean a provider will offer additional support from their own staff.
• The support needed must exceed what could be reasonably expected of family/friends already accompanying you, and must be due to disability-related needs.
• For children, we do not question that your child may need a certain amount of support when out and about, but we are unlikely to award the +1 symbol where they would already be in direct supervision and guidance by a parent or other family member.

It seems that you just have a bee in your bonnet because you haven’t been awarded this and have therefore got to pay for a ticket for yourself to enter places.

As others have said, the card is optional - either provide the information and pay or not 🤷🏼‍♀️ As a carer, you would think that you would have more pressing things to be doing.

@Hercisback1

I’ve said several times now that it shouldn’t be about a free pass.

It should be about recognising that my DC needs a carer. The box on the card indicates that he doesn’t have those needs. He does.

Ok if the problem isn't that you don't get free entry as a carer, what difference is having or not having the plus one on his ticket? What difference is it making to your visit?

You'll be doing the same care, and it's not the money aspect,what does it matter? What do you think a venue is gaining by not putting the carer need, what unfairness are you or your DC actually experiencing at the venue because of it not being ticked?

@JelliedFish How do you expect them to assess properly without access to all the information about the person on the pass? You have said that you are not happy about them accessing personal information. How can they assess that without seeing the information?!

What material difference does it make to your day?

Their logic for children though doesn’t take into account that a disabled child will need more care than their peers. If they get DLA that has been proven.

a parent carer taking a child out for the day is still a parent carer. People are so quick to be dismissive of what is involved in being a parent carer and this is that again in my view.

but my main issue is it’s yet another hurdle to being able to access places. If somewhere only accepts nimbus then that is unfair when people have other evidence to show the needs.

How does someone from nimbus or elsewhere decide who needs a carers pass though as it is situation specific rather than always specific to disabled person. For example say my daughter's going somewhere with friends one mum may be happy to be responsible for a few friends but I would need to go with my daughter so that would be an extra expense but if I had planned an outing just with my daughter and me, I wouldn't be out of pocket not having a free career access.
Then where do you make the cut off. A suitable adult may not actually need a carer with them but because they are over a certain age with a disability, they are entitled to a free companion. Or does nimbus also decide which adults need help and which don't.
There may be times an extra carer is needed as a precaution because the place you are going is unfamiliar and you are unsure if the challenges, whereas in a familiar place you might be confident with less assistance.