DLA Mobility & Badge

Hi Tracy

Well, all I know about this is that you need to get the high rate mobility to be able to exchange the money for the car. I have heard just recently that they are clamping down on the blue badges and it is really difficult to get one; as far as I know you have to be virtually unable to walk to get one. It's apparently based on how far you can physically walk before you are in pain/discomfort.

Having said that, just like DLA, you wont know if you dont apply and appeal and fight ..... nothing new there, eh!!!

You know I met a couple just last week that I used to live beside about 30 years ago and back then they were a young couple with two kids, she was claiming to be a single parent, with severe back pain making her unable to work and on invalidity - he was working as a bus driver .... she could go out and do heavy gardening, carry shopping, move furniture etc ... and I was disgusted when I met them the other day driving a fancy big black four wheel vehicle .... and yes, with a disability badge. Oh and since I moved away they had also had another child! This is really all wrong, the people who need these kinds of support dont get it or have to fight really hard to get it and those that know how to play the system have no trouble accessing it. If as much time and effort was spent dealing with the fraudulent claims as they do fighting legitimate ones there would be more money to support those that needed it.

RANT OVER :)

Josie - Community Champion

Hi Tracy,
I only get the lower rate for Alistair and I expressed the same concerns as you.. what did your cousin put on her form to get the badge ??
Leanne - Community Champion

Hi
I think the reason Alistair got the lower rate awarded is purely because he cannot go out on his own because of his language difficulties and the fact that he cannot understand road safety and is exceptionally vunerable with regards to strangers..
Leanne - Community Champion

Hi Tracy,

You should get your DLA renewal pack for Dylan soon for when he turns 5...I am pretty sure he will qualify for the lower rate and that you will get this easily because of the issues you mentioned and because of his language difficulties....to reach the bench mark for the higher rate though, his difficulties really should extend to him not being able to walk or an additional medical problem etc... There is a form you can ask for from the council for a blue badge and you can send it in with an additional medical opinion to support it without having the higher rate mobility, but this is still very hard to get and even though I did this and had the Paediatricians backing with the form, they still said no....It seems like there are some people getting higher rate mobility when others in similar if not worse situations aren't....it certainly doesnt seem like its a fair system and I am pretty sure that there were new recommendations for children with autism and DLA a while ago....these may be worth looking into.

You could try asking the council for a blue badge form to fill in and then asking if the Paediatrician will support your application? I'd check that they are still allowing this to happen though because like Josie said, they are really tightening the criteria....

Claire - Community Champion

The lower rate mobility DLA is for if your child needs more supervision than another child their age on unfamiliar routes outside.

The higher rate is either if you are
- unable to walk or virtually unable to walk (ie: you can only walk with severe discomfort or the speed and distance you travel is such that you are deemed virtually unable to walk)
- or have severe mental impairment plus severe challenging behaviour AND are receiving the higher rate care component.

It is possible to get it if your child can walk but unless there is a physical problem which makes them virtually unable to walk they will have to be receiving the higher rate care component and have severe mental impairment and challenging behaviour. Both cerebra and NAS have useful information and there is also some useful caselaw on it if you google.

As for the blue badge it does depend on local authority. You can automatically receive it if you are receiving higher rate mobility DLA or if you are registered blind. You can apply otherwise but your local authority will make checks on your ability to walk. In Hampshire they write to the GP, in some areas they ask you to attend a medical - some areas are much stricter than others.

HTH

Carol