Blue badges

[Mickeys Chicken Leg]

It’s not about the money, it’s about convenience for people who need to be close to places.
If people qualify, they qualify it’s as simple as that.

Really? I had no concept of this when I clearly stated I agree and support that disabled bays should be provided as close to an entrance as possible in my previous posts. Thanks for providing clarity of my understanding .

Park as close as possible, but if you can afford it, pay!

 

[Bob Fleming]

the most openly abused benefit around
Good Friday was sitting in the car outside of st Marys church waiting for wife who had run round to m and s
Yes I had paid for my ticket
of the 3 cars parked in the bay's and 4 cars parked in the loading bay and disabled bays there was only one person who looked anywhere near disabled an old guy trying to walk with sticks
One women got out of the car and ran across the road to avoid a bus coming down fawcett street
Everyone of them fraudsters
Most are using them as free parking and relying on people been too afraid or embarrassed to challenge them
Today in morrisons bloke and wife and kid who had obviously been walking on the beach dodged in front of me and all three climbed that small wall up into the car park and got into a car with blue badge being displayed
Government needs to think this one through again as it openly and blatantly abused

others with valid reasons for using blue badges should be doing their bit and challenging the fraudsters as they are giving the genuine users a bad name

knob

 

[soapster]

Please show me where I've suggested that people who's disabilities qualify for a blue badge should be excluded from having one based on income?

I've stated that I agree with disabled parking provision as close to an entrance as possible. At no point have I said anybody who qualifies on a need basis shouldn't be issued with a blue badge, but if you can afford it you should pay for parking.

I don't know why, but you appear to be labouring on a mutually agreed point.

I've never suggested to exclude anyone from the Blue Badge Scheme, merely that those who can afford to pay, should. Especially for local authority ran off or on-street parking.

I think the bit where you suggest

Blue badges should be means tested. Fair enough make parking as close to entrances as possible but why free for all? I've worked with a few people who've legitimately qualified for a blue badge due to disability but were earning in excess of £50k. Why should they park for free? Especially in this day and age with contactless payments, etc.

so if its mean tested, that means you qualify or don't. if you don't qualify, you are excluded

If you think means tested blue badges are a good idea, fair enough, but at least admit to yourself if that if somebody does not qualify because of wealth, you have excluded them

 

[janey]

Really? I had no concept of this when I clearly stated I agree and support that disabled bays should be provided as close to an entrance as possible in my previous posts. Thanks for providing clarity of my understanding .

Park as close as possible, but if you can afford it, pay!

But the point is you don’t need to pay, there is no facility or need to pay.
We are talking free parking, that’s all, and Im not going to argue with someone who seems to begrudge someone who is disabled or ill free parking.

 

[soapster]

Aye, I sat through a PIP assessment with him a few years ago, he got rejected based on the fact he could physically make his own meals etc.

I tried to do the questions on his behalf but they wouldn’t allow it. He falls over when he stands up, Shane he doesn’t just bounce back up like one of those weebils.

I suppose you've tried CAB or perhaps a charity that deals with the illness your dad suffers from.

I know a lad whose wife was found to have ms. over the years he was turned down for benefits. Another lad who I knew his wife was suffering from ms as well. they got together and 1st lad approached the charity and they assisted in completing the questionnaire. they obviously knew the buzzwords and it was granted within weeks.

 

[peachy]

Controversially I have always maintained that disabled toilets shouldn't be exclusive to disabled people, it's a facility that can accommodate disabled people but shouldn't be for their exclusive use.

They are meant to be called accessible toilets not disabled. They are for everyone and they are larger so wheelchairs and frames can be accommodated.

 

[soapster]

But the point is you don’t need to pay, there is no facility or need to pay.
We are talking free parking, that’s all, and Im not going to argue with someone who seems to begrudge someone who is disabled or ill free parking.

imagine being disabled and earning £50,000 a year. Must be some sort of fiddle.

Is there some sort of thinking that people with disabilities cannot be clever or hold down a good job.

that is bordering on being naughty

 

[Goat Eyes]

I think the bit where you suggest

Blue badges should be means tested. Fair enough make parking as close to entrances as possible but why free for all? I've worked with a few people who've legitimately qualified for a blue badge due to disability but were earning in excess of £50k. Why should they park for free? Especially in this day and age with contactless payments, etc.

so if its mean tested, that means you qualify or don't. if you don't qualify, you are excluded

If you think means tested blue badges are a good idea, fair enough, but at least admit to yourself if that if somebody does not qualify because of wealth, you have excluded them

Have a blue and a green, blue is close and free and green is just close.

I suppose you've tried CAB or perhaps a charity that deals with the illness your dad suffers from.

I know a lad whose wife was found to have ms. over the years he was turned down for benefits. Another lad who I knew his wife was suffering from ms as well. they got together and 1st lad approached the charity and they assisted in completing the questionnaire. they obviously knew the buzzwords and it was granted within weeks.

He ended up on pension credits anyway and now claims his pensions.

It was Age UK who advised him to try but it may be PC instead.

 

[Mickeys Chicken Leg]

I think the bit where you suggest

Blue badges should be means tested. Fair enough make parking as close to entrances as possible but why free for all? I've worked with a few people who've legitimately qualified for a blue badge due to disability but were earning in excess of £50k. Why should they park for free? Especially in this day and age with contactless payments, etc.

so if its mean tested, that means you qualify or don't. if you don't qualify, you are excluded

If you think means tested blue badges are a good idea, fair enough, but at least admit to yourself if that if somebody does not qualify because of wealth, you have excluded them

You're missing the point, I've never said that income is the primary evaluation.

Where have I suggested any exclusion purely on income? If you qualify on a "physical need" basis then you qualify and should be able to access disabled parking bays. If your income is over a certain level then you should still pay any parking, tunnel, toll fees.

It means they qualify yet have to pay. People who meet the required criteria can still use disabled parking provision but have to pay. As I've previously stated my Dad has a Blue Badge following his stroke but will only use a designated bay if he's going into a shop himself. If he's taking my mother (who doesn't qualify) and she's the one shopping he'll wait in the car in a bay not designated for disabled persons.

 

[Duracel Funny]

the most openly abused benefit around
Good Friday was sitting in the car outside of st Marys church waiting for wife who had run round to m and s
Yes I had paid for my ticket
of the 3 cars parked in the bay's and 4 cars parked in the loading bay and disabled bays there was only one person who looked anywhere near disabled an old guy trying to walk with sticks
One women got out of the car and ran across the road to avoid a bus coming down fawcett street
Everyone of them fraudsters
Most are using them as free parking and relying on people been too afraid or embarrassed to challenge them
Today in morrisons bloke and wife and kid who had obviously been walking on the beach dodged in front of me and all three climbed that small wall up into the car park and got into a car with blue badge being displayed
Government needs to think this one through again as it openly and blatantly abused

others with valid reasons for using blue badges should be doing their bit and challenging the fraudsters as they are giving the genuine users a bad name

I can’t be arsed to read the whole post but you’re a flipping idiot.

 

[Mickeys Chicken Leg]

But the point is you don’t need to pay, there is no facility or need to pay.
We are talking free parking, that’s all, and Im not going to argue with someone who seems to begrudge someone who is disabled or ill free parking.

And I'm not going to argue with someone who clearly doesn't understand the concept of change and fails to fully read a post before replying.

 

[janey]

And I'm not going to argue with someone who clearly doesn't understand the concept of change and fails to fully read a post before replying.

Okay, whatever

 

[becs]

If your income is over a certain level then you should still pay any parking, tunnel, toll fees.

Is it a cost thing? I read something like that about winter fuel allowance where the savings made by means testing it would be wiped out by the cost of actually doing the means testing so it's easier just to give it to all pensioners.

 

[Mickeys Chicken Leg]

imagine being disabled and earning £50,000 a year. Must be some sort of fiddle.

Is there some sort of thinking that people with disabilities cannot be clever or hold down a good job.

that is bordering on being naughty

Can't help but feel this is some sort of retort to my posts (forgive me if I'm wrong).

There is no reason why a disability should limit the potential earnings of any person. I've family members, friends and colleagues with a spectrum of disabilities ranging across polio, autism, loss of limbs, MS who have all wanted to work. Where have i suggested it's been a fiddle.

 

[mickb2112]

Not every disability is visible.

I've had the same crap off people for using disabled toilets because "I don't look disabled"

The most reasonable answer on here. People are quick to judge without knowing the facts.

 

[Cockney Mackem]

? I had no concept of this when I clearly stated I agree and support that disabled bays should be provided as close to an entrance as possible in my previous posts. Thanks for providing clarity of my understanding .

Park as close as possible, but if you can afford it, pay!

Congratulations on coming out with one of the most ill-thought out ideas ever devised, to solve a nonexistent problem

Is it a cost thing? I read something like that about winter fuel allowance where the savings made by means testing it would be wiped out by the cost of actually doing the means testing so it's easier just to give it to all pensioners.

And that's for far more substantial benefits expenses. Think about just how shit this idea is. Means test all disabled people, and periodically means test them again. Create a whole new second category of disabled badge called "disabled but doesn't get to park for free in those cases where parking charges exist but are waived for disabled people." Train people for and administer the whole new scheme. To stop the highest earners who are substantially less than 10% of current blue badge holders, and the most likely less than 10% of parking facilities that charge regular punters but don't charge blue badge holders. And even if this miniscule saving isn't massively dwarfed by the means testing profile, it doesn't save any of the central government's benefits budget, it's parking revenue which is local authority if it's public sector at all.

The more you think about this idea the shitter it gets

 

[Mercia Blackcat]

Congratulations on coming out with one of the most ill-thought out ideas ever devised, to solve a nonexistent problem

And that's for far more substantial benefits expenses. Think about just how shit this idea is. Means test all disabled people, and periodically means test them again. Create a whole new second category of disabled badge called "disabled but doesn't get to park for free in those cases where parking charges exist but are waived for disabled people." Train people for and administer the whole new scheme. To stop the highest earners who are substantially less than 10% of current blue badge holders, and the most likely less than 10% of parking facilities that charge regular punters but don't charge blue badge holders. And even if this miniscule saving isn't massively dwarfed by the means testing profile, it doesn't save any of the central government's benefits budget, it's parking revenue which is local authority if it's public sector at all.

The more you think about this idea the shitter it gets

It is a shit idea like. The thing is there would need to be an increase in council tax to pay for it which would dwarf any increase in parking charges collected by councils

 

[Cockney Mackem]

It is a shit idea like. The thing is there would need to be an increase in council tax to pay for it which would dwarf any increase in parking charges collected by councils

Aaaaand the idea just got shitter

 

[peachy]

Give free parking to Blue badge holders. If you are ill enough to need a blue badge, I don't mind you getting free parking. Of all the parking that raises funds, the few disabled parking spaces wouldn't raise that much money in the bigger picture,so let's let them be used for free. Sorted.


All I'd ask is that you leave them free for genuine badge holders and only genuine badge holders should use them.

 

[soapster]

Congratulations on coming out with one of the most ill-thought out ideas ever devised, to solve a nonexistent problem



And that's for far more substantial benefits expenses. Think about just how shit this idea is. Means test all disabled people, and periodically means test them again. Create a whole new second category of disabled badge called "disabled but doesn't get to park for free in those cases where parking charges exist but are waived for disabled people." Train people for and administer the whole new scheme. To stop the highest earners who are substantially less than 10% of current blue badge holders, and the most likely less than 10% of parking facilities that charge regular punters but don't charge blue badge holders. And even if this miniscule saving isn't massively dwarfed by the means testing profile, it doesn't save any of the central government's benefits budget, it's parking revenue which is local authority if it's public sector at all.

The more you think about this idea the shitter it gets

then if you do have to pay, then it becomes a right to have a bay when you want one, otherwise you are paying for something you may not get.

Give free parking to Blue badge holders. If you are ill enough to need a blue badge, I don't mind you getting free parking. Of all the parking that raises funds, the few disabled parking spaces wouldn't raise that much money in the bigger picture,so let's let them be used for free. Sorted.


All I'd ask is that you leave them free for genuine badge holders and only genuine badge holders should use them.

I wonder where most blue badges are used. could be in allocated parking in city centres. double yellow lines, car parks or at shopping centres

agree abuse should be clamped down on.