Older people without a Blue Badge may be able to use disabled parking spaces

Argyll and Bute, Balloch, Dumbarton, Helensburgh, Latest News, Scotland Wide, Special Features, Uncategorized, Vale of Leven, West Dunbartonshire Leave a comment

Pension age disability benefits do not include a mobility element which can act as a passport to the Blue Badge or Motability schemes

To make matters worse for me, I am banned from speaking to the Council so I cannot ask them to explain the blue badge rules more clearly despite the fact that they have a communications department which cost hundreds of thousands of pounds a year to run.
But this is West Dunbartonshire where the officials, who are about to receive a huge hike in their wages, appear to have taken control of matters despite the fact that it’sd the elected members who are supposed to run the show.
They appear, however, to have given up – they haven’t given up the money – to have abandoned democracy.
The chief communications office Amanda Graham aappears to be able to ban who she likes and and when she likes without reference to the democratically elected representatives of the public.
Who needs elections anyway?
If she has consulted the people in charge of this, then there is no public record of that in any council minutes I have ever seen.
To me this looks like bullying and vindictiveness, terms the Council will be familiar with since they are presently awaiting the final compensation bill, currently estimated at not much less than £1 million, for doing just that to  one of their own (disabled) employees.
Here below is what the “explanatory” publicity about the Blue Badge Scheme says:

The UK Government has clarified that local councils have the “powers to mark out bays for specific purposes,” which could include dedicated parking spaces for pensioners not in receipt of the mobility component of a qualifying benefit for the Motability or Blue Badge schemes.

In a written response, Local Transport Minister Simon Lightwood said: “Part IV of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 provides local authorities with powers to mark out bays for specific purposes, issue local parking permits, and use Traffic Regulation Orders (TROs) to reserve spaces for specific purposes.”

The Minister added: “This can be a voluntary local scheme, and the cost and nature of the concession would be for the local authority to decide.”

It’s worth noting that these matters are devolved to the Scottish Government and Transport Scotland, but there have been several calls in recent months for a mobility element to be added to pension age disability benefits to enable older people to access the Blue Badge and Motability Schemes.

If you have a physical disability or health condition that affects your ability to walk safely, or have a hidden condition such as dementia or Parkinson’s, you may be able to get a Blue Badge to help you park closer to the places you want to go.

Blue Badge updates

People who automatically get Blue Badge

People who automatically get Blue Badge

Three-month warning to Blue Badge users

Three-month warning to Blue Badge users

11 places you cannot use a Blue Badge

11 places you cannot use a Blue Badge

Free travel boost for Blue Badge holders

Free travel boost for Blue Badge holders

Blue Badge Scheme

A Blue Badge holder travelling either as a driver or a passenger can park for free in disabled parking bays and may also be exempt from other parking restrictions.

There are currently more than 235,700 Blue Badge holders living in Scotland and in many cases, people will automatically qualify for the £20 parking permit.

This includes those on the higher level of the mobility rate for PIP (PIP), Adult Disability Payment (ADP), Child Disability Payment (CDP) and DLA.

However, the Scottish Government has published a comprehensive list of circumstances which could see people with walking issues or parents caring for a disabled child, qualify for a Blue Badge.

Applications for a Blue Badge can be made online, but the guidance advises that people with a mental condition need to contact their local council directly.

It states: “If you have a mental condition that means you lack awareness about the danger of traffic, you cannot apply online. You should phone your local council’s Blue Badge team for a paper application form.”

The guidance also advises that those who do not automatically qualify for the Blue Badge scheme may need to have a mobility assessment and a meeting with a healthcare professional.

It’s also worth noting that there is no set processing time for new applications or Blue Badge renewals, but it can take around 12 weeks – but it usually around 10 working days (in your dreams). Your local council processes Blue Badge applications and sets the price – they will also be able to advise on how long it might take.

Maybe the Communications officials who refuse to communicate – I see they have refused to come up with answers to this from members of the public in their own Complaints Column – will make it clear, clearer than they have made the arrangements for the new bin rotas.

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