Blue Badge Entitlement

Hi before I message I must thank Benefits and Work for all the marvellous information you have it has helped me with my son's Appeal to be awarded the Enhanced Rate of both Daily Living and Mobility. Thank you, you are amazing.

I am writing about the crazy Blue Badge system - my son can have a motability car as he gets the enhanced rate of pip for mobility but does not automatically get a blue badge as his enhanced rate comes under "planning and following journeys" (f)- 12points.

If he was on the standard rate with 8 or 10 points for moving around or psychological distress (e) 10 points (which he also suffers from) he would automatically qualify for a blue badge. To get enhanced rate for mobility (12 points) category (f). To get Standard rate for mobility (10 points) category (e). If you suffer from (f) then you are going to suffer from (d) and (e) and (f). Its utter madness. Also, if you are awarded (d) 10 points you do not qualify!

The County Council wrote: " As he still does not automatically qualify for a Blue Badge as he receives 0 points for moving around and gets 12 points for planning and following a journey. Currently his application is waiting to be screened by one of our Assessment Officers and we will be in touch in due course."

Although my son qualifies under both of these (e) and (f) as they affect each other, the DWP awards the higher of the two as obviously they cannot award both. Therefore, my son cannot get a blue badge even though he qualifies under both e and f.

There must be thousands of people with this problem having to go through unnecessary wait for an assessment process. Now these assessments are taking three to six months as they have to go through all these people with the enhanced rate under (f). The other crazy thing is if the (e) automatically qualifies (e) is when you cannot undertake any journey - so why would you need a blue badge? My son cannot undertake any journey without someone with him.

Just thought I would put this on the forum - if you live in Wales or Scotland you qualify if you are on the enhanced rate of pip.(12 points) Crazy world.

Yep totally agree. 1e equals automatic entitlement- bizarre!

Susie, do you mind telling me more about your son's decision as whether you had to go to appeal to be awarded 1f over 1e please? I am appealing now and am just interested in a little more context of the 1f award if you would be willing to explain more? Thanks Jim congratulations your son's enhanced award by the way. Hopefully the council will assess his needs and authorise his blue badge!

I agree completely with you susie, I qualified from tribunal for 11e suffering with agoraphobia, depression anxiety etc and could have got a blue badge,which after my last assessment and MR I have lost completely so on long road to tribunal now, my brother on the other hand qualifies under 11f he is serverely mental impaired, autistic, servere learning difficulties and does not automatically qualify for a blue badge, but has a mobility car who my dad is his nominated driver and also had a light touch award given him last year, I personally think both 11e and 11f should automatically qualify for a blue badge, as my mom has not renewed my brothers badge as she doesn't want to put him through a possible assessment for it, because she sees the stress assessments put me under, the only saving grace is my brother hasn't had to have an assessment for either pip or esa, but knowing our council they would more than likely put him through it for a blue badge.