Is applying for a blue badge really that difficult??

[AuntieBiotics]

Inlaws are being very very difficult and intransigent about applying for a Blue Badge. Both are 82. MIL has osteoporosis, fell last year and broke her hip. Very little vision in one eye and lacking in confidence when walking. FIL the same age and has COPD.

We suggested they apply for a blue badge - they don't go anywhere much other than the supermarket and the doctor/hospital but it would make things so much easier parking at the door and FIL not having to leave MIL while he parks. My mum is younger (by a year) and has a blue badge - she was awarded it while waiting for a hip replacement but it was not me who did the application, it was my brother.

Inlaws say it's too hard, too many questions, have to be on benefits (I know this is rubbish), have to provide medical notes, get a letter from the GP. And besides, Marjory next door / the hairdresser's cousin / some man in the GP's waiting room applied and was turned down as not eligible and are far more disabled.

The majority do. I'm glad you are the exception. My parents, my in-laws, my brother's in-laws are all struggling though. Sadly, cognitive ability starts to deteriorate from about 70 for most. We've had to help all the old people on our families with stuff like this as they've been like rabbits in headlights despite being previously very capable.

I applied in January this year for my husband - he lacks patience and focus when it comes to forms - and found it fairly straightforward, if tedious. Luckily he’s pretty organised and had kept all the documentation from the hospital consultant regarding his disability and treatment regime, plus various prescriptions for the changing mountain of medication he’s had to take over the last couple of years. I uploaded everything I thought was relevant.

It was finally granted in August after a face-to-face consultation with an occupational therapist, so it took just over six months from start to finish. It was a bloody pain in the arse to do and the waiting was frustrating, but it was definitely worth it. Oh, and it was a £10 fee, non-refundable.
.

I am quite surprised at everyone claiming ‘it’s easy’!
It’s straightforward if you are used to completing online forms. But not everyone is. And there’s a lot of information to submit.

You apply online via gov.uk.

We completed one for my 86 year old mum’s blue badge and it took about an hour. There was absolutely no way she could have done it herself.

There were a lot of questions about health conditions and mobility issues, how far can you walk unaided etc. Also she tends to downplay her medical conditions so would probably not have listed them all and been refused!

We uploaded pictures of her medical diagnosis letters - she wouldn’t have been able to do that herself. You also have to upload proof of address and a photo of yourself, NI number, evidence of any benefits. So we had to find all those documents for her.

She used to be a lot more computer literate but over the past 10 years has found it all become very confusing.

But the blue badge does make attending appointments a lot easier so it was worth it.

We are in West Wales. We didn't need to gather any evidence. We completed the form including the details of our GP and then we had to go to the council office a few weeks later for DM to have her photo taken and we were given the badge there and then.

Apply here

I have completed it for someone, it was easy

Very useful to park closer to places, when caring for someone with poor mobility

https://www.gov.uk/apply-blue-badge

I found it straightforward, I applied online and just had at attach my pip award. I think if I had to have medical letters stating how far I can walk etc I probably would have found it harder to be honest, I do not get given copies of test results and xray copies from my hospital appointments, they don’t show in the nhs all and I’ve been told by admin staff that I must send a request and I get a print out of all my hospital records, I found that system a lot harder to navigate as id need to be doing these requests regularly to get a copy of results.

I didn’t send any evidence in for my pip claim because nothing came back in time, getting copies of my hospital medical history took six months, and it feels like a lot of unnecessary expense having to make requests for printouts, dwp contacted my doctors and that kind of made my applications for pop easier than if I’d have to gather medical evidence myself proving how my health affects me.

If your in-laws don’t have disability benefits and also don’t have anything from their doctors stating they can’t walk far etc then I can kind of understand why they think it’s a faff if they don’t know how to access all this stuff, but I’d say due to how long it takes, it’s better to start the ball rolling.

It was a very long wait though, took about four months for my initial BB application and my renewal took about six months due to what the council said is a massive backlog.

I know this attitude only too well, but tell them its for over 55s. It normally puts a stop to it because people are shocked that it starts that young.