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Original poster

Is it right that disabled people should get free parking??

397 replies

SleepyJess · 19/09/2005 15:48

Discuss.. (please)

I am having this discussion elsewhere and amazed at some of the views. Just wanted to see what the general concesuss was on here.. without spouting my own views!

SJ x

OP posts:
spursmum · 22/09/2005 20:23

Apparently they have changed the rules now Misdee for mobility, it's going down to 3 years old. Just looked on the DWP site and it changed if you get the high rate of care.

misdee · 22/09/2005 20:25

i know u can apply for age 3 for mobility, but i think the child has to be virtually unable to work, or walk safely. and your ds is safer than my dd2 lol.

WestCountryLass · 22/09/2005 20:27

I think disabled people should get priority parking however I am not sure all disabled people should get free parking. Obviously if they are on benefits/low wage but not if they are a high court judge or something kwim?

Jimjams · 22/09/2005 20:47

spursmum- you wouldn't get it anyway.Tell your mum she's talking rubbish!

And yeah there are soooooo many high court judges who are in receipt of higher rate mobility which gives you the free tax disc and therefore free parking (blue badge holders are not necessarily entitled to free parking- they're not here- only those with a disabled tax disc).

spursmum · 22/09/2005 20:49

As Misdee will tell you I hardly ever talk to my mother (or a least a decent conversation!) so I just let anything she says go in one ear and out the other!!!

jamboure · 22/09/2005 21:34

Dont really think they should get it free either.

Agree with disabled parking bays though but most also qualify for free road tax too so think it is fair to pay for parking

Jimjams · 22/09/2005 22:16

Oh FFS- SO is it fair that diabled people pay more for parking (after all limited mobility means having to park in several different car parks for one visit to town). is it fair that it costs me more to go out with my disabled son? - If I go into town with him it is to go to one shop to practice buying one item- not for leisure. We have to drive- he can't cope with public transport and if he kicks off I can't drag him all the way home. Last week I went to town with ds3- we walked, the week before I went with ds2- we took the bus- those options are not open to me with ds1.

Is is fair that - to quote the Guardian "disabled children cost three times as much as other children to bring up. Yet their mothers are seven times less likely than other mothers to be in work, mainly because of a lack of childcare and early education provision. Small wonder that 55% of disabled children's families live in poverty and fall into credit card debt for food, heating and housing." Perhaps I should get 3 times the child benefit? Or would that be unfair as well?

Please someone hoot before I start calling people narrow minded, clueless and lacking in any ability to empathise. Hoot bloody hoot. (Have you noticed I am sick of having to justify how lucky I am to have a son that wil require 24 hour care for his lifespan- and has a severity of disability that we can rarely take advatage of our free effing parking anyway); Hooot Hoooot Hooot

Caligula · 22/09/2005 22:19

Can I just say that a friend of mine who is a nanny is being interviewed for a job this week which is 45 hours and 900 pounds per week because the child is autistic.

Puts other childcare costs in the shade, I think.

Jimjams · 22/09/2005 22:32

I hope social services are paying some of that! I doubt it though working out the hourly rate. Carers save the country a lot of money. £40 a week for 24/7.

aloha · 22/09/2005 22:52

Am so - I would gladly give up the use of my legs and the life of several family members in order to get free parking. Jammy buggers. Too lazy to get out of their wheelchairs.

WestCountryLass · 22/09/2005 22:55

JimJams, the point I was trying to make with the high court judge was just as an example or a high wage earner that could benefit from a disabled parking permit but who has the means to pay for parking, I could have used solicitor, accountant, cisco engineer (any job that commands a high salary). I was under the impression that disabled parking permits were based on need and not means. Apologies for my bad with that one

I find that educating people is usually better received without the sarcasm.

QueenOfQuotes · 22/09/2005 22:58

and how many disabled (recieving the high rate of DLA) High Court Judges, Accountants and Lawyers do you know????

Caligula · 22/09/2005 22:59

But wcl, further down the thread, it's been explained how blue badges work. And they're based on household income - a high court judge in receipt of a high income would not be eligible.

(Or have I not been paying attention?)

WestCountryLass · 22/09/2005 23:03

QOQ

That is why I wrote:

I was under the impression that disabled parking permits were based on need and not means. Apologies for my bad with that one

And Caligula, needless to say I haven't read the whole thread, I simply posted what I thought using HCJ as an example and JimJams corrected me.

WestCountryLass · 22/09/2005 23:03

QOQ

That is why I wrote:

I was under the impression that disabled parking permits were based on need and not means. Apologies for my bad with that one

And Caligula, needless to say I haven't read the whole thread, I simply posted what I thought using HCJ as an example and JimJams corrected me.

Original poster
SleepyJess · 23/09/2005 14:44

Zorba... too knackered to say much else on the subject but had to say something... On this issue at least you are narrow minded.. and also downright WRONG! (And probably a troll at that.... zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz)

OP posts:
misdee · 23/09/2005 15:49

blue badges are not bassed on income. they are based on a persons need for one.

SoupDragon · 23/09/2005 16:05

Thought of this thread (and others!) as I wandered between the disabled parking bays in Tescos today. One of the vehicles displaying a blue badge was a large white Ford Transit van

I think I spotted about 4 out of 20 cars who were not displaying a badge.

QueenOfQuotes · 23/09/2005 16:20

I thought of this thread today when dashing back from Morrisons with the shopping in the pushchair, and DS2 safely under his rain cover. It was throwing down with rain. I was pretty wet, but thought how lucky I was that I was able to run back without getting too wet.

Dingle · 23/09/2005 16:28

haven't read all of this...but I feel our main issue is ease of parking somewhere and giving enough room to get Amelia from the major buggy and into her car seat safely. If I don't put her in the buggy then location of parking does alos make a huge difference.

TBH we don't really use many "pay for" car parks except for at the hospital. This is where the free parking does come into play. We often have
2-3 therapy/medical appointments per week, so at a minimum of £2 at go....yes, on a very selfish note, I feel it is justified.

Jimjams · 23/09/2005 19:18

WCL blue badges are based on need (as is dla), not income. My point was that for the vast majority of disabled people becoming a high court judge is highly unlikely. At this stage I can't see my son ever learning to wipe his own bottom. let alone become a high court judge. I know many, many disabled people- only 1 of those is capable of holding a job- she's the only one who would have a chance of earning any wage. The other 20 or 30 that I personally know will require 24 hour care for the rest of their lives. Why worry about the odd high earner that must comprise the smallest group of disabled people. Why should we as a family, have to pay more than a non-disabled family (we do anyway- as already pointed out bringing up a disabled child cost 3 times as much- and work is very very difficult when there is zero out of school care your chi8ld can access.

Forgive the sarcasm, but we seem to have spent the last 2 weeks justifying receiving parking spaces/parking tickets sometimes. It's tedious being told it's "unfair" that we get free parking. As I said on BW- life is unfair. We win on free parking, you win on everything else. Enjoy it.

BunnyBoo · 23/09/2005 19:20

To answer first post as have not read the rest - Yes i think it is right for disabled people to not pay for parking for many reasons, one reason being that they are sometimes alot slower due to there diabilities and things take a lot longer than they would for others.

WestCountryLass · 23/09/2005 20:10

Are the vast majority of disabled people unlikely to become high earners? I didn't realise that, my contact with disabled people is limited though (working with the brain injured and one of my Mums friends who had CP but was a solicitor).

At the end of the day, I just think if someone can afford to pay for parking they should, disabled or otherwise. However I also believe that if a person with a disability cannot work because of their disability or are in receipt of benefits then they should receive free parking and priority parking/parking allowances if appropriate.

misdee · 23/09/2005 20:33

[bangshead against a brick wall]

most disabled people are limited on their earning capacity. Peter wanted to be an accountant, and started an OU course on basic mathematics to build up some 'points' and get his brain in gear and then move onto accountancy course. But his learning was cut short by a long spells in hospitals. he can pick up his course again in feb, but i have a feeling he wont be able to start it then. must email his tutor again. so Peter's earning capacity is atm limited, which means his jobs prospects once he comes out of all this, is limited.

mummytosteven · 23/09/2005 20:37

not read much of the thread, but answer is yes, however much they earn, the restrictions in activity/movement/stamina etc are still there.