Blue badge application - what are they looking for?

66Mustang

I believe I educated myself well, partly thanks to this site, on the PIP questions in so far as I knew what to put down and what not to mention i.e. what they were interested in and what was irrelevant (to them).

I am hoping to do the same with the blue badge.

Can anyone tell me what sort of things they are actually looking for? Is there a link to anything on the internet that can help?

I am not asking for the "exam answers", so to speak, more just want to make sure I don't waste a load of space putting down them a load of information that they are not interested in.

Thanks.

poppy123456

If your PIP mobility doesn't automatically entitle you to a BB then it will depend on the reasons why you're claiming the BB. 

If it's for mental health reasons they you'll need to take a look at the criteria for your local Authority as they all have different rules outside of automatically qualifying.

In my LA it's unlikely that my daughter would qualify because although she has ASD and a learning disability she doesn't experience extreme anxiety to the point she's unable to go out. For this reason i have never applied for her.

If it's extreme anxiety for you and this may qualify you then you should concentrate on exactly what happens when you are able to go out.

66Mustang

Thanks Poppy that's useful to know.

poppy123456

You're welcome. Good luck!

66Mustang

Just to update I have read through my local authority's criteria and decided not to apply, but I may do in future when I am ready to start going out alone.

I don't feel I experience "extreme" anxiety when I am out because I always have someone with me for support, but I would feel this level of anxiety if I were alone.

When I do start going out alone I feel it would make things easier and I think I will save the application until then.

Thanks again!

2oldcodgers

66Mustang said:

Just to update I have read through my local authority's criteria and decided not to apply, but I may do in future when I am ready to start going out alone.

I don't feel I experience "extreme" anxiety when I am out because I always have someone with me for support, but I would feel this level of anxiety if I were alone.

When I do start going out alone I feel it would make things easier and I think I will save the application until then.

Thanks again!

Quite sensible and wish that more would consider your decision instead of claiming by way of exaggeration of existing difficulties. It does make it difficult for those that are clearly entitled to a BB as the time it now takes for the LA to make a decision - now up to 16 weeks!

MW123

In 2018, I made a call to my LA to explain my situation and the difficulties I was facing with walking, as well as to inquire about the criteria for qualifying for a BB. The person on the other end of the line was incredibly helpful and offered to process my application right then and there over the phone. Once they received my photo and payment, I received the BB within a week. When I renewed it in 2022, the entire process was conducted online, and once again, I had the new badge in my possession within a week. It was actually the council that informed me about Personal Independence Payment. If it hadn't been for that conversation, I might never have known that PIP existed. This experience taught me that sometimes, just picking up the phone and making a call can really pay off.

2oldcodgers

MW123 said:

In 2018, I made a call to my LA to explain my situation and the difficulties I was facing with walking, as well as to inquire about the criteria for qualifying for a BB. The person on the other end of the line was incredibly helpful and offered to process my application right then and there over the phone. Once they received my photo and payment, I received the BB within a week.

What a verbal application to the LA, a photo and £10 was all that was needed?? - No evidence, no physical assessment?

I do dread to think how many BB have been issued by your LA that are based on little or no evidence being submitted.

Mt LA is demanding sight of the original award letters showing the length of the award and the points awarded to make up the award of Enhanced Care & Mobility. I even have a motability car but they would not accept that as evidence. I have an automatic right to a BB BUT  I have to prove it.

MW123

Hello 2oldcodgers 

That was a true account  of my initial experience obtaining my first blue badge. I didn't approach it with any sense of entitlement; instead, I simply made a phone call to inquire about the necessary criteria. To my own astonishment, I found the process surprisingly quick and straightforward. 

I have complete confidence in my local authority's issuance of blue badges even when there is minimal or no evidence. Their assessment for granting me a blue badge was precise, given my authentic need for it. Despite having medical documentation available if required, they relied on the truthful information I provided, making it unnecessary. 

2oldcodgers It is  essential to note that not all applicants are acting dishonestly. The method for obtaining a Blue Badge can differ between locations. In my situation, the LA had its distinct criteria, and my application met those prerequisites. It's crucial to keep in mind that the process is structured to assist those who truly require it.

 

 

poppy123456

2oldcodgers said:

MW123 said:

In 2018, I made a call to my LA to explain my situation and the difficulties I was facing with walking, as well as to inquire about the criteria for qualifying for a BB. The person on the other end of the line was incredibly helpful and offered to process my application right then and there over the phone. Once they received my photo and payment, I received the BB within a week.

What a verbal application to the LA, a photo and £10 was all that was needed?? - No evidence, no physical assessment?

I do dread to think how many BB have been issued by your LA that are based on little or no evidence being submitted.

Mt LA is demanding sight of the original award letters showing the length of the award and the points awarded to make up the award of Enhanced Care & Mobility. I even have a motability car but they would not accept that as evidence. I have an automatic right to a BB BUT  I have to prove it.

With all due respect you do seem to have so many issues with benefits and entitlement to many things in life.

A LA would have no interest in any daily living award of PIP because this doesn't automatically entitle anyone to a BB. It's the mobility award they want to see and where you scored those points and rightly so.

Having a mobility vehicle doesn't automatically entitle anyone to a BB. People that scored 12 points in "following and planning a journey" or scored a mixture of points between both parts of mobility can join the motability scheme but this doesn't mean they are automatically entitled to a BB.

When you're automatically entitled then yes i would expect people to have to send proof of their disability benefit award. I've always had to send proof of my PIP award for the past 10 years.

2oldcodgers

poppy123456 said:

2oldcodgers said:

MW123 said:

In 2018, I made a call to my LA to explain my situation and the difficulties I was facing with walking, as well as to inquire about the criteria for qualifying for a BB. The person on the other end of the line was incredibly helpful and offered to process my application right then and there over the phone. Once they received my photo and payment, I received the BB within a week.

What a verbal application to the LA, a photo and £10 was all that was needed?? - No evidence, no physical assessment?

I do dread to think how many BB have been issued by your LA that are based on little or no evidence being submitted.

Mt LA is demanding sight of the original award letters showing the length of the award and the points awarded to make up the award of Enhanced Care & Mobility. I even have a motability car but they would not accept that as evidence. I have an automatic right to a BB BUT  I have to prove it.

With all due respect you do seem to have so many issues with benefits and entitlement to many things in life.

A LA would have no interest in any daily living award of PIP because this doesn't automatically entitle anyone to a BB. It's the mobility award they want to see and where you scored those points and rightly so.

Having a mobility vehicle doesn't automatically entitle anyone to a BB. People that scored 12 points in "following and planning a journey" or scored a mixture of points between both parts of mobility can join the motability scheme but this doesn't mean they are automatically entitled to a BB.

When you're automatically entitled then yes i would expect people to have to send proof of their disability benefit award. I've always had to send proof of my PIP award for the past 10 years.

Yes I would agree entirely with your comments.
Maybe I am unlucky when it comes to making and maintaining benefit claims etc. But I am pleased to see that you agree with me that evidence of entitlement for a BB is vital for a new BB, even if it is based on direct entitlement due to the PIP award of Enhanced Mobility being in place.
I was very surprised with how MW123 managed to get theirs with no evidence whatsoever being requested - simply with the LA 's view that what the claimant says must be true - why would anybody want a BB based on lies?
Not being able to demonstrate the length of my award or the points awarded along with the stress and anxiety involved I have, as mentioned before, given up on the idea of a BB.
As you know the LA were sent the original documentation in 2020 but have since lost it all.