I have applied and been refused a Blue Badge, how should I appeal

[Pooky]

I have CMT 1A :- Although I can walk slowly its not that slow and I can walk the distance on good ground (I cannot walk at all on mud or ice) however my anckle swells up if i walk too much. I am walking on side of feet

so a blue badge would be useful, but I need to know how to win an appeal.

[Amanita]

Hi, Pooky,

You didn't say whether you were refused a B. Badge on the strength of your application form, or whether they called you in for a personal assessment.

In 2012, the criteria were made more rigorous; you have to be "unable to walk or virtually unable to walk" to qualify now. In fact you'd need to be able to say truthfully (and be prepared to demonstrate) that if you can actually manage to walk more than 30 metres (ie a very short distance), then your speed is extremely slow, and/or your gait very erratic, or even using your stick/s or crutch/es your balance is terrible, or you are in very bad pain, or out of breath. If your GP or physiotherapist strongly supports your case, then that would help, but they cannot make the actual decision.

If you don't actually qualify, it would be futile to appeal. But if you think you have been unjustly treated, then the Citizens' Advice Bureau should be able to help you.

Good luck....

[Penarthgran]

I too have been refused although I held a badge for three years. In my local authority there is no appeal. Having fallen twice in the last year I intend to reapply. I've been advised to say that I can't walk any distance without pain and balance problems as opposed to trying to quantify how far I can walk.

[PhilC]

I would say that you have about 0% chance of qualifying for a blue badge, I also have similar limitations but was advised you need to be virtually immobile before you qualify.

Of course our good French friends ATOS carry out the assessment

[Pooky]

Thanks, I was wondering why all the disabled car parking bays were empty. Now I know why :- by the time one qualifies for a blue badge you are too infirm to go out anyway.

|Looks like the 2012 rules are causing problems.

[John1945]

Hello to Pooky ....

YES ! you most certainly must arrange an appeal against this decision !

Like most fair minded people who opt themselves to tell the "whole" truth will get you absolutely nothing :

Sorry ! you simply need to be more 'economical' with the truth, when applying today in any "Blue-Badge" application form:

Any little "white-lies", or exaggeration, will be needed, and possibly displayed

personally to your local council's Social Services ?

The "Blue-Badge" decision is taken by a local authority/council 'civil servant', who has absolutely NO medical qualifications whatsoever, but can even choose to ignore your doctor's, or health professional's written letter(s) containing your support evidence :

Have you applied for, or are entiled to, Disability Living Allowance (DLA), which is now being phased out, and a new Personal Independent Payment allowance is being introduced, for people aged between16 - 64yrs :

If you qualified for any these state benefits you would then AUTOMATICALLY be entitled to receive a "BLUE-BADGE" !

Best of luck to you .....

John..... (Glasgow)

Ps Most local councils/authorities employ Benefits Claims Advisors, who will

assist you to complete any application / claims forms etc: Check with your

local Social Services Helpline !

[Amanita in reply to John1945]

I was recently, and to my enormous relief, awarded a B. Badge. I did some research before getting and filling in the form, as I didn't want to waste my time or effort if I wasn't eligible anyway. I decided I did have a chance.

In the event, I was able to quote accurately the time it took me to walk 10m, as recently measured by my physiotherapist. I described my crummy balance, erratic gait, and rather frequent falls (3 in one month recently). In my case I could also truthfuly fill in the section about disability in both hands (though I crossed out "severe" , and put "moderate"), as I am liable to drop the coins , when trying to hold on to my crutch and keep my balance, as well as finding some parking meters need you to tug hard on a tiny little bit of the ticket before releasing it.

I referred to CMT by its more descriptive name of Hereditary Motor and Sensory Neuropathy,as that would make more sense to a non-specialist.

My B. Badge has already made an enormous difference to my life. I was really struggling. So many places had become inaccessible (including the local hospital entrance, when I'd parked in a "normal" patients' car park), and I have nobody to drop me off nearby.

[steveshawx]

Hi Pooky, Given your statement above, you are stating what you can do.

Local Authorities will issue a badge based on a couple of things - medical evidence from a GP / Consultant / Health Professional, and entitlement to DLAS /PIP as it is now. If your application states you can do what you do, then there's no appeal or case for issue of the badge as you only require it occasionally (it might be useful)

If you reapply with the support of your GP, and put what you cannot do, you might just get one issued. You might find applying for a blue badge on the net, and what criteria it requires - Good Luck

[bev5985]

The Blue Badge scheme criteria has been titghtened up and I believe that unless you get DLA or PIP then you cannot obtain a blue badge any longer - if you get either of these benefits then you need to contact your local authority.

[Juliej51 in reply to bev5985]

Hi ive just been awarded standard mobility on pip which is 8 points.that or above qualifies for a blue badge.hope you get it sorted

[Amanita]

Bev - I have never applied for nor received any disability benefit ( I believe you could only apply for DLA before a certain age - i.e. before my CMT seriously affected my mobility) so did not automatically qualify for a B. badge. My case was judged solely on my replies to the questions on the form, and my use of the spaces where you describe e.g. your manner of walking - if it doesn't match any of their standard categories. I did suggest they should refer to my neurologist or the physiotherapist (who had both agreed to support my application) if they needed any further information ( rather than my GP who has absolutely no understanding of CMT ! ). However the speed with which I was issued with my B. Badge (seven days after they received my form) suggests that they didn't refer to anyone for more info. I was enormously relieved to get it - I had at least expected to be hauled in for a personal assessment.

I wonder whether Pooky's speed of walking "slowly, but not that slow " and distance walkable on smooth ground were what caused the failure of the applicatiion. I didn't even think of applying when I could still manage half a mile slowly on even ground, using a walking pole.

[Amanita]

Referring back to Pooky's remark about all the disabled parking bays being empty, I wonder where she lives ! Round these parts, it's often impossible to find an empty one. Sometimes this is because there are hardly any provided, but often it is because of lazy people who are perfectly able-bodied, just taking a chance and racing into the supermarket from a convenient vantage-point.