1 in 20 people have a blue badge?

[Oodlesofnoodlez]

So I’ve just had to battle to get a family member a blue badge, they receive high rate of everything and immobile but still a complete battle.

so I’m thinking ‘ok it must be very very difficult to get therefore hardly any must be issued’…. Nope figures from 22-23 show almost 5% that’s 2.6 million people have a blue badge.

surely these figures cannot be correct?

will it be completely impossible to find disabled spaces now we’ve got the badge?

we are in the SE

In England, the enhanced rate of the mobility PIP does not automatically result in a person being eligible for a blue badge. In England, to be automatically eligible as a result of the PIP you receive, one needs at least 8 points on the moving around activity &/or 10 points exactly under descriptor E on the planning and following a journey activity.

This could result in their mum not receiving the blue badge any more as they are abusing the system by using it without her there.

Every council differs but as I understand it Advisory Disabled bays (outside a property for example) are marked in white. They are advisory only and have no legal standing and any driver can park there. Also while a bay is intended for the person who applies for it, other disabled drivers can use it.

Council owned carparks the disabled bays are normally Yellow I believe so must make a difference? Private owned carparks it's just a contractual obligation not to park there but that's between the land owner and the person parking as it is to pay for your parking in any space.

That is how I understand it anyway but I may be wrong.

You can't.

Also, standard mobility has an automatic entitlement if you get 8 points in 'moving around'

These types of situations always confuse me. The BB have to be applied for, so why would people bother to do so, if they felt they had no need of one🤔

That's absolutely fine. I don't need a random stranger on the internet to believe me. Odd that you'd think that a disabled person is lying about something that has actually happened, though.

I’ve no idea but you’re right!

@LadyKenya @brunettemic CF can be a fluctuating and variable condition. You don’t know when you might need the blue badge. You don’t want to need it but not have one and have to apply and wait.

Yes, I understand@BrightYellowTrain . I just would have thought that she must have felt a need to apply for it, in the first place. It would not be on most people's mind to apply for a BB, just in case. It is a shame that she felt that people's judgement on how she presented, prevented her from using it, if she had the need to, as well.

It would not be on most people's mind to apply for a BB, just in case.

@LadyKenya most people don’t have CF…

The person getting a BB just in case was not eligible for one

@BrightYellowTrain What has that got to do with it? Does having CF mean that you can get a BB even if you have no difficulties, just in case you do later down the line? I was not aware of that obviously. It makes no difference to me, one way or another though.

It isn’t for you to decide that! Someone has obviously deemed the woman to be eligible. Whether she chooses to use it all the time or not is her choice. You are basing your post on information from a colleague. Many CF’ers do not share the intimate details of their condition and how it affects them with colleagues.

You said ‘It would not be on most people's mind’. Most people don’t have CF. Someone has obviously determined she is eligible. It isn’t for you or anyone else to decide she isn’t eligible based on a snapshot from someone else. Whether she chooses to use it or not is not anyone’s else business. Your use of no difficulties shows how you don’t understand how CF can affect people nor the effort and toll daily life can take even if they appear fine to outsiders.

I was not saying that she is not eligible, I have no idea, I was responding to another poster at first. I was asking if someone with CF would automatically be granted a BB, as a matter of course, well, or not.

Maybe MN should create an index of 'Really Easy Places to Get a Blue Badge'.

Your question comes across as though you didn’t think she should have one. ‘well, or not’ shows you don’t understand CF and the toll it can take to appear ‘well’ to the outside world.

Yep. I have a friend who got a BB based on that one descriptor. Thing is, he got about fine without a BB anyway.... but got one in the end because he was entitled to. Can't say I blame him, as that is how the system is set up.

You can have a BB without PIP too.

Free parking can be an incentive possibly?

@BrightYellowTrain Right, I have clarified that is not the case, I am in no position to cast judgement on who I think should have one, and who should not. She has been granted one. I was asking a question, that is still unanswered, but never mind.

No, not all with CF are automatically eligible. You can see the automatic eligibility criteria on the government’s website. But just because someone w/CF appears ‘well’ to a colleague and doesn’t appear to have ‘difficulties’ doesn’t mean they are ‘well’ or have ‘no difficulties’, and it doesn’t mean it doesn’t take a huge toll and effort to appear that way.

No, not all with CF are automatically eligible. You can see the automatic eligibility criteria on the government’s website.

That is all you really needed to say!

Sorry to be a pedant but as MEcfs is badly misunderstood I'm chipping in.

Chronic Fatigue is a symptom. It is not the same as CFS. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (or myalgic encephalomyelitis M.E.) is a complex and usually permanent neurological condition that includes exhaustion and fatigue as a result of carrying out normal daily activities. Anyone who is well enough to go into a shop is on the mild end like me. Having a blue badge means that I can manage my energy on days I feel able to go to a shop. It's not just physically walking further, it's coping with noise and light and cognitive processing. In essence the body doesn't produce enough energy to regulate itself properly.

I get headaches, stomach issues, tinnitus, joint pain, muscle twitches, neurological sensations, problems with temperature, brain fog, muscle weakness, sore throats....I could go on. I look totally normal. I go to work. I look after my child.

Having a blue badge gives me a tiny bit of help to carry on functioning and keeping a roof over my head by working.

However, if the space is no nearer the shop, I don't take it up as I don't necessarily need more room and appreciate other people will need that.

CF is not the same as chronic fatigue, CFS or ME.

You had automatic entitlement. 🤷‍♀️