Blue badges for disabled

[jambutty]

Originally Posted by Ianto.W.

I have read this thread with interest, as I have been refused attendance allowance three times never mind mobility allowance that the Blue Badge goes with, to get mobility you have to get it for three years to qualify for a car, the other allowance is called motability allowance that the badge goes with, this is first given for one year and has to be applied for again. Attendance allowance is for someone to see to your basic needs ie; cooking a meal etc. The only way a cancer patient can get any of these benefits is if your consultant says you have only six momths to live. So you lucky beggars that have got it any other way "good luck to you".

I think that you are misinformed about Mobility Allowance and the Blue Badge.

The criterion for getting a Blue Badge or Mobility Allowance is based on the ability to walk a short distance without pain or you have to be accompanied by someone else because you are blind or just physically being unable to walk at all. And the condition has to be, for all intents and purposes, permanent. Thus someone with two broken legs in plaster would not qualify because hopefully they would recover in time and be able to walk again.

The rules for getting the Mobility Allowance were a bit stricter than for getting a Blue Badge, which is why if you qualify for the Mobility Allowance the issue of a Blue Badge is a forgone conclusion.

There are two rates of Mobility Allowance but unless the rules have changed once granted you do not need to apply again. Although you may be called in for a re-assessment. If you qualify for the lower rate you can still get a Blue Badge on the strength of it.

If you qualify for the higher rate you can opt to use all or part of the 4 weekly allowance to lease a new car from quite a large selection or you can pay some money out of your own pocket to lease a car that costs more than the allowance. Some of the larger and flashier cars require a cash deposit from £50 upwards. The lease term lasts for three years where after you return the old one and get a brand new one of your choice.

There is an annual mileage limit of 20,000 miles, I think. If you exceed that limit you pay a mileage charge of 5p per mile, I think. The vehicle comes taxed and insured with, in my case a £75 excess on any claim. There is no limit to how many claims you can make. The car is serviced annually for free and you can have up to 4 new tyres in three years. Kwik Fit will repair any punctures for free. You also have automatic membership with the RAC. Before the lease expires you have to pay for the MOT that a three years old car requires, although some dealers may not ask you to. Lookers where I get my car from does. Skinflints!

My 1.8 Vauxhall Astra automatic with ABS, electric front windows, passenger and driver air bags and radio CD player, internal central locking uses all of my higher rate of Mobility Allowance.

The Attendance Allowance comes in three flavours, low, medium and high and is granted to those people who cannot look after themselves to some degree.

The system is not perfect and I have heard of cases where the applicant would appear to have a good case to receive both allowances but haven’t been able to get any. There is still an element of ‘luck of the draw’ about it.

[jambutty]

If the best that you can do is to call people names Neil then your post is not worth responding to in detail.

[WillowTheWhisp]

I knew of an ironic one where somebody was granted the higher rate and got a car and then was told she didn't qualify for incapacity benefit. How's that for confusing?

[garinda]

Originally Posted by jambutty

How do you know? You don’t! You are just making an assumption to try and excuse your crass comment.
There is nothing wrong about laughing at yourself garinda but you are not. You are taking the micky out of someone else’s disability.

Get your facts right oh little ray of sunshine.

I didn't make the joke, or even said I found it funny. I just defended Granny Claret's right to find it amusing, after you'd told her off.

[accymel]

Even in normal parking spaces some people cant park inbetween the lines, ok never past my test but least i could do that & im a girlie too

[lancsdave]

Originally Posted by accymel

Even in normal parking spaces some people cant park inbetween the lines, ok never past my test but least i could do that & im a girlie too

You can tell what sort of driver has parked badly. If it's been reversed in to the space it's a bloke

[accymel]

Originally Posted by lancsdave

You can tell what sort of driver has parked badly. If it's been reversed in to the space it's a bloke

True it has to be them as girlies dont do reverse parking heheheheheehe

[Ianto.W.]

I am not misinformed about the system jambutty maybe I dont just set the facts out in black and white, my gripe is not with mobility I don't need it, I need extra money to live with my illness Cancer more bad days than good, extra heating a bit more quality to life. If I go out I have to make sure I can get there in quick time as I may need a toilet, I could bore you all night, the problem with what I need is it's on the same forms and under the same rules as you blue badge holders, and I repeat I do not want a blue badge.

[harwood red]

Originally Posted by WillowTheWhisp

I knew of an ironic one where somebody was granted the higher rate and got a car and then was told she didn't qualify for incapacity benefit. How's that for confusing?

More than likely the reason for that is:

Disability living allowance and Attendance allowance are not means tested so literally you could be a disabled millionaire and entitled to it.

Incapacity benefit however is means tested. So the likelihood is the person you knew had too much income to be entitled to incapacity benefit but met the criteria for DLA

Right can I take my benefits head off now??

Oh and jambutty, when you quote someone please will you leave their name on it so we have an idea who you are responding to?? (see post 42) ta

[Neil]

Originally Posted by jambutty

If the best that you can do is to call people names Neil then your post is not worth responding to in detail.

Or you can't explain your irresponsible parking on yellow lines when their are other spaces available.

[Ianto.W.]

If I remember correctly jambutty you also corrected me on the latitude of Prince Edward Island, and you were a world away, but you did not apologise for that gaffe either , your problem is jambutty you think you are always right and none of us are always spot on, so lighten up a bit and give others credit for 'knowing' a little to. The thread in question was about global warming, I have no wish to fall out with you as your contributions to the site are more often more good than bad but don't spit your dummy out when your wrong.

[garinda]

Just a question to others who have a blue parking badge, like Jambutty.

If your condition qualifies you to have the necessary benefits to apply for a blue parking badge, were you also sent by the DVLA for a disabled driving test, to make sure your condition that qualifies you, doesn't also affect your ability to drive safely?

It's a serious question, as there does seem to be some discrepencies at work here.

Or am I being singled out for special attention?

[jambutty]

I’ve had mine for about 10 years now so I can only say what happened then.

I was not asked to do a disabled driving test.

I think that it depends on the disability whether you have to do that test or not.

A person with no or unusable arms can have a car adapted so that everything is foot controlled but I’m sure that the DVLA would need to know that the person is competent with them. Similarly for someone whose legs don’t function in the normal manner or is a double lower limb amputee. All controls can be put on the steering wheel.

How things are these days I have no idea. When my Blue Badge expires and because I get the higher rate of DLA I just get issued with a new one.

Not much help was I?

Sorry!

[Ianto.W.]

This is my last and final post on this subject, a great many people got this allowance before the rest of us 'cottoned' on to it, I would love to see some of you take the medical again. My late father got it and he was the best con man in Accrington, he took the test at Brun House Burnley he was supported by my brother (physicaly) and two walking sticks, he did sumersaults for weeks after so stop the old soldier crap jambutty,

[Gayle]

Originally Posted by jambutty

A badge holder can park free in public car parks and pay and display on road parking. .

Now this is one thing that I don't understand. I completely understand how people with disability can park in special spots in car parks that are nearer the shops/buildings etc, yellow lines etc but why do they get to park free?