Blue Badges

[Yankee_Doodle]

Recently, Anxiety UK has heard from a number of people who are experiencing difficulties in getting a blue badge due to a change in requirements that make it especially difficult for those with mental health difficulties to obtain a renewal or a new badge. If you’ve experienced difficulties, please post your experience below. Anxiety UK would like to raise awareness of this issue and, as such, we want to hear how anxiety sufferers have been affected.

An anonymised version of your comment may be used in an awareness campaign in the coming months.

[Hidden]

didnt know you could get blue badge for mental health, thought you had to have walking difficulties. if so what ground of mental health can you get one for

[bighomer13]

Hi guys I have just moved from wiltshire to Dorset just down the road and I applied on line for a blue badge due to me suffering with panic, anxiety, slight agrophobic and also I have a slipped disk and I waited about 5 days for them to send me a letter to say that I am entitled to one!!! I hope this helps

[Hidden in reply to bighomer13]

your slipped disc bighomer, does that effect your walking and doyour think you got it because of your walking, as I suffer from panic/anxiety and cannot go to place unfamilar to me without somebody with me

[Lions13]

Here is a link showing the details of the eligibility criteria.

assets.dft.gov.uk/publicati...

Mental Health appears under 2.1.6 (page 6), 4.4 (page 35), 6.1.4 (page 68), 7.2 (page 91)

To my mind one of the most interesting paragraphs is:

"Quality of life and social inclusion could be greatly enhanced by entitlement to parking concessions. More importantly, the evidence here suggests that reduced walking distances to a person’s final destination can, in some cases, potentially reduce the risk of some mental health conditions getting worse. The ability to park close to destinations would help to prevent the person concerned from having an anxiety attack, becoming confused and feeling lost."

I would strongly suggest that if you feel a Blue Badge would be beneficial and create new opportunities it would be worth looking into it.

[determind in reply to Lions13]

The criteria you stae here is now outdate it is 2007 criteria the new criteria totally excludes mental illness and on speaking to a person at Dept Transport the Govermnet have no intention of including mental health, i have written to various MP.s and got an answer from communications of David Cameron to say get in touch wht Dept of Transport, in other words he isnt interested in the paperwork I sent him at all.

[bighomer13]

Hi yes it do a bit as u have to use a stick and Cant walk very far due to this grrrrrrr lol and if I have a panic I have got to rush home and I'm nevet to far away from the car.

[Hidden]

thanks for that info will def look into it

[determind]

We must get through to thh Dept of Transport in any way we can, I have had my blue badge application turned down after having a badge for nine years, it is discrimination for menatl illness, I suffer from agoraphobia and having the badge has grealty increased my quality of life, I have appealed and still they refuse so have gone to the Ombudsman now, have been wihtout badge for over 3 months now, they use the OT practiotiners to assess you now and they are not familiar with agoraphobia, if you would benefit by having a badge and being able to park close to places, write to Dept of transpert nad the Prime Minister, we have to have a collective voice to be heard.

[upperthong]

i have aslipped disc going on for 3 years now on lots of pain killers plus oxcicodene and suffer with social anckity still have to work cleaning 3 hours a day would i be able to get ablue badge