Applying for a blue badge for 8 month old

[Smallmonkfish]

Hi All

DS has so much equipment: suction pump, feeding pump, saturation monitor and oxygen cylinder for if he gets in trouble with his breathing.

He fell asleep at the zoo on Saturday and went white with blue lips. Luckily he self corrected with a little shake, but some of the equipment was in the car miles away (as we can't carry it all at once).

Do you think we might be entitled to a blue badge so equipment is to hand in an emergency? Have written a long covering letter about his needs and equipment. Council is North Somerset. Not sure of their criteria.

Any thoughts appreciated.

I think you are going to have to be a bit proactive, here, Smallmonkfish.

Your Council are a bit behind with the times, from the look of it.

a) their application form is only relevant for over 16s.

b) There is no ability to take advantage of the regulation change for children under 2.

I think you will need to phone them, ask them, and be prepared to copy this and highlight the relevant section.

Pop into your local Library and get a Blue Badge application form.

Or you may be able to download a form from the Council Web site. You probably need a supporting statement from a doctor

Thanks peeps, when I called today they just told me to write a covering letter to go with the form. Have done so saying about equipment and need for safety etc, but Lougle, you are spot on, the form is useless for this situation. Will look up regulation change to cite this too.

Don't know the answers but feel for you. Hope you succeed.

I haven't looked at Lougle's links so she may have linked to it but I am sure that there is provision for children aged under 2 to have a blue badge if they require oxygen cylinders and the like.

I think it came in very recently though but it's worth asking about and applying for.

if you need to carry equipment you can get it for under 2's my mum's next door neighbours have one for their baby girl for the same reason.

It might also be useful to get a helpful Paed/OT/physio or relevant health professional to write a letter outlining their opinion too.

That is what we did and got an early Blue Badge.

Hope it works.

I am sure you can. Do you also get the mobility part of the DLA. I think you get HRM if you have to transport heavy equipment.

I know this is not relevant to your post but if you can get hold of an old silver cross pushchair they had really strong trays underneath and cos easily carry oxygen, monitor and other stuff. I have one in my loft if it's any use to you..

USoRight the minimum age for HRM is 3 years old. Smallmonkfish will have to wait another 2 years for that.