Blue disability badge,

[elizabethcarol]

Myself and my DAD have COPD and asthma, and neither of us can walk far, he has just been declined a new badge it does not cover breathing difficulties in the criteria scoring, you need 15 points he only got ten, they dont accept medical letters from GP, Where on earth do we go now, hes had a badge for 15 years, any suggestion anyone????

[MarieW-F]

Write to your MP. Ask them to ask the local authority why your father has been turned down for his Blue Badge. You might want to tell them about your circumstances too.

Good luck.

[stone-UK]

Hi

Do neither of you not claim DLA/PIP.

if you are entitled to thre higher rate then Blue Badges are automatic.

Although there is no appeals, I would contact you'd council wth supporting evidence from your GP, test results from your respitory nurse.

All evidence should be taken into account when you are being assessed, after all the health care professionals are not trained in any specific medical condition.

Seek help from your CAB office.

[Kathygwanny]

I would try to appeal if possible. Get advice from CAB or your local Welfare Rights Dept which is run by your Social Work/Social Services. They really helped me.

Kathy

[clematis5932]

elizabethcarol Both myself and husband have blue badges. It is not the condition that you have but how that condition affects your walking. The criteria used to be 50metres but that has changed to twenty which has meant that a lot of people who had badges before now can not. If I remember correctly you have to list on the form all the people that you see regarding your condition there names and where they can be contacted if need be. I have Emphysema and Bronchiectasis my husband has a heart condition and copd and Bladder Cancer he has had to go for an assessment to get his badge, after we got to the centre where they did the testing and saw my husband they apologised said he would get the badge within five days. Go to your local CAB office they may be able to advise you further. Best of luck I hope you get it.

[sploge in reply to clematis5932]

it has now down to 10 meters this is also why they are taking cars away

[tomhatha]

when I last had my badge check I was told I have 3 things that get me the blue badge and one of them was COPD so appeal the decision and you WILL win good luck not that you'll need it they MUST give it to you.

[Offcut in reply to tomhatha]

I have PH and RLD and they look at you blankly Even when you try and explain you can see them glaze over.

[Offcut]

I am afraid most of this is down to interpretation of the rules and criteria. Some years back it was up to each council to decide who had a badge. But some were giving them out to the wrong people and some were not giving them out based on strange rules they had made up.

All councils decided that they would use the PIP/DLA mobility criteria as the benchmark. But this is were if they read it as written it all goes wrong. The old DLA rules stated 50 metres as a distance, but the new PIP is a ridiculous 20 metres. The rules state that if you have "severe discomfort" walking this distance then you should qualify! But as with a lot of us with lung and or heart conditions they do not physically see a disability?

I have been told "You do not use a stick" But they then do not like the answer that because I have 3 compression fractures in my back a stick can cause me more pain than it would help it is only when it is so severe that I have to use a stick but then it is only if I have to go somewhere like the doctors or hospital etc. It is important that you don't big yourself up you need to base it on bad days.

I would get in touch with your MP you will find them here:

parliament.uk/get-involved/...

Be well

[daffy456]

That is outrageous .. yes contact you mp .. and your council insisting a badge be provided under your human rights .. stress your father CANNOT walk far not just breathing problems ...

[katieoxo60]

I would contact your MP as you did have one I gather, this is only a parking badge that allows you to park nearer your destination if you have walking difficulties, and we do have to pay for it. It should not be dependent on receipt of benefits like DLA /PIP if you get these it should just help your claim without examination process. Some councils are just being over zealous in my opinion.

[Grandad1]

Hi ,it's my first time responding,don't let this get you down ,sometimes it's hard enough to cope with not being able to walk far with c.o.p.d ,this is a medical condition,and a letter from your doctor will go a long way to help with obtaining a blue badge,tell your doctor everything you cannot do ,they will help you ,good luck mick

[Louisiana]

I was turned down at first, but you do need to really impress them with the fact that you are unable to walk because of your breathing, that you cannot walk from shop to shop, that you can't even walk into the surgery unless you can park close. etc. etc. Do keep trying...good luck I would be absolutely housebound without mine.

[waynereid]

This is another disgraceful factor of the changes in welfare benefits being made.

We have the same issues with regard to the change from DLA to PIP for my wife. For some reason even when you provide them with all the information they just seem to answer certain questions themselves so that lower points are achieved.

It is a scandalous system now, not fit for purpose as there are so many vulnerable people being penalised for their disability.

I wish you luck. Do let us know how you get on.