blue badge scheme. Can anyone share their experience of applying?

They will be employed by your local authority to carry out medical assessments. They won't try & sell you anything.

There are national automatic criteria, LA's also have discretionary criteria some of which need a medical assessment. Hence the contracting out to a medical clinic.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/blue-badge-can-i-get-one/can-i-get-a-blue-badge

I attended the assessment centre three days ago. The lady I spoke to was charming, friendly and very understanding. She has sent her report in and I have heard today that I will be issued with a Blue Badge. I need not have worried. She came into the waiting room and I was asked to go into her examination room. My husband was invited to come with me. She took notice of the way I used my two walking sticks and that hubby helped me up from the settee. She checked my passport and I gave her a list of medication i take. I had completed the on-line form saying I suffered from arthritis in hands, feet, knees etc. She could see the knuckles on my hands are mis-shaped and swollen. She asked me to take my shoes off to see the way my toes are mis-shaped and curled under. She asked on a scale of 1-10 how bad my pain was. A while ago I had had a flare up and gone to the UCC. The pain was 8 to 9. However, normally I don’t have much pain but am worried as one of my knees gives way intermittently. (It can be either knee). I feel it could cause me to fall. So I have anxiety about this. If I was at the top of a set of stairs (or halfway down) a fall could be very serious. At home I have a stairlift. She asked if my dr had arranged X-Rays of my knees. The answer is “No.” I just said drs seem to think X-Rays cost too much money and I don’t like to make a fuss. The only treatment or medication for arthritis is “Take 8 paracetamols every day”. The doctor prescribed these but now I buy my own (but I do not take the full doze). She asked what mobility aids I use - 2 walking sticks - and I said “And my husband”. She laughed at that. My husband's knees are prone to give way so we could both land in a heap. She said that the information she had written down would be sent electronically to the local authority and I would hear from then on the next working day (Monday). Which I did. As soon as I paid £10 using the telephone my badge would be sent to me.

my friend calls it the People with broken parts badge. It always makes me smile. Sorry to hear so many problems with badges. I have noticed that now you get an extra hour in a lot of car parks but still have to pay.