Blue badges for children under 3

[kit10grl]

The guide on our local website states a child over age 2 who has a permanent disability which means they are unable to walk qualifies. So we applied and today I received a letter asking about what equipment we carry as they are saying children under 3 only qualify if they carry equipment around? Have emailed them mentioning the stuff on the website and the fact that we get high rate care DLA etc. Just not sure if they are trying to get rid of me when we are entitled or if I have actually got it wrong. Was so looking forward to life being that little bit easier with the badge our hospital is near impossible to park at but always has loads of blue badge spaces available (you still have to pay to park in them tho). Just a little bit of something to make life easier would be nice

 

[DonnaBallona]

our local authority gives blue badges to children under 3 dependant on. disability I think? one friend of mine has a child with Downs, she has one, and another with a quadreplegic 2 year old, she also has one.

what INFURIATES me though, is the amount of truly horrible comments she gets from other people when she dares to park in one of the spaces at her local supermarket and gets her older, able bodied, son out of the car first. one elderly man even commented to my friend, whose son has downs and a heart defect, 'I wish I were that disabled!'

 

[Sqwidge]

I don't know about whether you can get a badge or not but get used to comments from older people. It's wrong and it shouldn't happen but I get it quite a lot - more looks and tuts nowadays but I have had some massive blowouts with people over the years.

 

[kit10grl]

Oh I can imagine the looks. What is it with older people who think that they are the only entitled people in the world. You would think they would know better and be more sympathetic of others disabilities. Thanks ladies. Still waiting to hear back from my email so I am hopeful they are considering our circumstances and not just giving me a flat no without looking at our case properly.

 

[DonnaBallona]

I wholeheartedly agree that it should be on a case-by-case review system!! just because a child is under 3, does not mean that they don't need extra space closer to the door. many people don't realise that not all disabilities are visible!!!!!

I hope you get the blue badge you need. I agree with the helpful hospital parking thing- we have to go to 3 different hospitals in central London. only one of them has parking and the others are blue badge only. My son had pneumonia recently and was extremely sick. I had to take him on several tubes with oxygen by myself to get there! nightmare xx

 

[maisie78]

I hadn't even considered that it could be a problem. Like you I have been looking forward to getting dd's badge just so I can park a bit closer at the hospital, or even get a space for that matter. She isn't walking yet and.being pregnant it is getting harder to get her in and out of the car. I wonder if they will make us wait until she is 3?

Also I am so looking forward to the comments from others especially as dd doesn't look disabled and obviously isn't carrying a white cane yet. People are so judgemental. This thread proves they don't give blue badges to just anyone so why feel the need to comment? My oh has no filter between his brain and mouth with people like that so I can only imagine what's going to happen.

 

[DonnaBallona]

Maisie78 I sincerely hope they also give you the blue badge your daughter needs. and if anyone DARES to say anything, then I hope your OH is with you. it would serve them right to be on the receiving end of a tonguelashing! ignore ignore ignore. they don't know anything about you, your situation or your children.

xx

 

[nickibrum]

I am on a FB group for CP kids and a mum on there told me to write you need extra space to help get them in and out of the car. We dont carry around special equipment but trying to get a toddler SAFELY in and out of the car when they dont use the left side of their body is a nightmare.

My LO is 1 3/4 so we are applying for needs easy access to the hospital but when he is two that will swap to he doesnt walk. I'll keep you updated on any feedback I receive from my application as i only applied last week.

 

[purplerat]

My son is 4 1/2 but we've had one since he was a baby, as he's got hypoglycaemia and needs a feeding pump. We've had so many looks/comments from people, mainly elderly! Once a lady questioned me as I arrived just before and she said "you know that's a disabled bay" I said I did and walked off. I looked behind me and she was actually checking round the front of my car to see if I actually had a badge. Makes me feel guilty for using a badge when we are fully entitled. It's been such a great help for us. We are regulars at great Ormond street hospital in London and drive up and park, it's much easier with a badge.

 

[kit10grl]

Just wanted to let everyone know that after phoning them several times to be told our application was being reviewed and getting nowhere fast I asked our local carers centre for advice on what to do as te website states the application process takes 35 days and we were sitting at over 70 days. The carers centre phoned the blue badge team on my behalf and gave them a list of all the clinics and specialty's that we are under and yesterday I fianlly got a phonecall saying they have awarded Robyn a blue badge, only for a year but that is fine as when she turns 3 she will get mobility which automatically qualifies her for another blue badge at age 3.

So it can be done just keep fighting for it and they will do the right thing eventually

 

[maisie78]

That's great news! Reallypleased for you x
We just got our evidence back this morning with a note that her badge is to follow

 

[kit10grl]

aww great glad your badge got sorted too. Im just relieved we have a whole load of hospital appointments coming up and its great i dont have to stress about getting there so early that my 3 year olds little legs can walk to the appointment without us being late and that i will actually have space to get DD out of the car without struggling