Blue Badge renewal

[Fiz]

Well with just 4 weeks to go until my blue badge expires I took photos of details of the DFG for stairlift and wetroom, letters from the spine tumour team with details of my spine conditions and surgeries, Motability grant award for the electric hoist that lifts the powerchair into the boot etc with the intention of applying based on my physical conditions as the only PIP award letter I can find is the original that expires on 22/05/22 which is six days after the blue badge expires! I did have a letter extending the award to January 2023 but I can't find that plus I have the PIP review form now anyway. The gov website gave me no options other than to use my PIP award so I have submitted an application which would last 6 days!


But I found the email address to my council's blue badge department and emailed them stating that I would like to apply for the full 3 years based on my conditions which I explained and attached photo files of the letters and forms evidencing it all. No idea of whether that will work but for now, I have done the best that I can. I'm actually due to go away on holiday at the end of May and potentially not having a blue badge could cause problems but hey ho. I'm not even sure I will be able to go.

[Sunny Clouds]

Here's where, in your shoes, I'd be wishing I hung out with dodgy people so I could buy a fake or stolen blue badge to use. 

Meanwhile, I'm probably teaching my grandmother to suck eggs, but I'll take the risk, even if just as a reminder of what you already know.

With places like hotels and shops, some will make arrangements for a suitable 'unofficial disability parking space' when you show them you genuinely need one.  You can phrase it as "I don't currently have a blue badge, but I'm disabled and I'm wondering what reasonable adjustments you can make for my needs, because I don't want to cause problems with my wheelchair blocking spaces or denting anything."

[Fiz]

We'll be in a holiday property and if I go I will only go out once but it is to a family attraction where I would need the wider spacing but if I can park on the end of a row so I can open the drivers door wide, that would be okay. It's not somewhere that I have been before so I have no idea what the parking is like but the attraction draws crowds so the car park will be big. Otherwise I will just stay in the holiday property. My daughter plans to take her family out each morning but both boys, their other halves and my eldest grandaughter will only be going on that one trip out and will be otherwise staying at the property too so I would have company.


I'm just so low at the moment and cry a lot so am unsure that I can cope with going. The holiday has been booked for two years but it wouldn't be the first holiday I haven't attended as my depression has been so bad.

[Fiz]

Well my awesome council emailed a few minutes ago telling me my application has been successful and giving me a link to follow to pay the £10 and once payment is received I will have the badge within 14 days. I assume they've approved me for the full 3 years based on the evidence that I emailed them on Saturday and not for 6 days based on my yougov application!


I was hopeful as my council are lenient on blue badges compared to other authorities. I've known people awarded them for anxiety and a parent whose child had behavioural problems though I am not aware of what was written on their application forms. I had a lot of evidence of my physical and mobility problems. While I was hopeful that my application would be approved, I didn't expect to apply on a Saturday and get approval before 9am on the Monday! So all being well my badge should be here before the expiry date of my current one.


Just got the mammoth task of the PIP review form now with not knowing how to photocopy all the evidence. Ho hum.

[Sunny Clouds]

Great news about the blue badge!

I hope you can manage to be less OTT than I was with my PIP application.

(edited for sentence structure) 

[Monic1511]

Fiz,


Good news re the blue badge, re the copying of evidence, if you’ve sent it before just say that on the form, if it’s new evidence can you take a picture of it and then tell pip you can email it to them but have no way of copying it

[Fiz]

I had no idea that I could suggest that to PIP! The form said enclose photocopies of evidence so assumed that I had to. I have a lot of new evidence since 2018. I must admit when I found my council's blue badge email address and I photographed my evidence and emailed it to them I thought how much easier life would be if I could do the same with the PIP evidence. I might have to try that because I can't see me getting out of this house and I don't know anyone with a printer. It's an absolute nightmare.

[Sunny Clouds]

What gets me is that when it comes to trying to catch people out, the government's dead good at sharing info on them from a range of public services, but when it comes to helping them, that system doesn't seem to work. 

Thank heavens for the Monics of this world, knowing how to manage the system. 

(I nearly edited that instinctively because if I posted that phrase in lots of places, people would happily interpret it as 'how to cheat the system'.  Aargh.)

[Monic1511]

Hi
Due to covid new claimants to pip are being offered a link to an online application, I refused it but it might be great for others, so if they have an email address for new claims then they should be able to receive evidence by email as well.  Might be worth asking

[Fiz]

My GP is going to get a surgery secretary to find and print out various letters she noted would be good evidence which are technically copies. So I just need to get myself to the surgery tomorrow to collect them and collect my meds from the adjacent pharmacy. I need to somehow phone the DWP to request the extension to complete the PIP review as it was meant to be there this coming weekend. I find phones so hard so that won't be easy. Pencilled in as a job for tomorrow. My GP is also contacting AMHT to say that I need more support though she said she doesn't know what her call will provide help wise or how helpful any help will be.


I have had horrendous IBS this morning causing excuciating pain which buscopan, peppermint oil and tramadol have now eased mostly leaving me with just aching tummy that's had enough. A bit like me. I told my GP how I had circumnavigated the blue badge problem with a direct email attaching photos of letters and wouldn't it be wonderful if the DWP were that versatile. She agreed.


My GP said my physical and mental health is considerably worse now than they were in 2018 so it doesn't make sense that I would lose my award. As usual she's trying to feed me hope.