DS1500 / Blue Badge / Benefits

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Ok finally found something I’m really struggling with

The tumour leaning on my spinal column is making walking progressively more difficult. Steroids are helping and everything is crossed that the new meds will shrink the tumour just enough to get sufficient function back that I will still be able to walk. After much angst from my lovely wife I have decided that maybe a blue badge might be a good replacement for my life long approach of park further back so those in need can park closer.

I go online to apply under the terminal illness route and find if I haven’t done a DS1500 to claim benefits and aren’t currently in receipt of benefits it could harm my claim to be entitled to a blue badge.

much swearing gnashing of teething and general grumpiness ensued

All of my life I have lived by the mantra of “ pay what you owe, only take what you need” there have been times when we could have taken extra benefits but we chose not to as we could live on what we had and felt it was wrong to take just because we were “entitled” to it. We have been lucky enough that I have had good jobs and then we ran our own successful business for a few before closing it down when I was declared terminal so I could have a retirement.

Now I find that I am “entitled” to benefits that financially we could survive without , but not claiming them could impact my ability to claim a blue badge that I need and it really upsets me to have to claim something I don’t need, I don’t want to take money from a pot that others have more need of.

To me it just feels so wrong to take a benefit just because I am “entitled “ to it when I don’t actually need it.

However a blue badge at the moment would really help. If only to reduce the amount of earache I’m getting from her indoors lol

Mmum over 2 years ago

Hi Richard, try not to think about it as "entitled" and "needs". One of the main problems with universal benefits (non-means tested benefits) is that they are given to everyone, because the assessment cost is more than the payout itself.  And then you get the situation you describe, that people won't claim because it crosses their red line, but then people on £££ will claim, so the benefit never actually gets to the intended person profile anyway. It's probably a bit tricky to comprehend my point with the current direction of travel. But certainly when I first understood this point, the government really did want people to claim their entitlements because that was what they were for!

Think of the pandemic. Government money is able to be created when required for the needs of the country's people, as we voters see fit.

The charity donation sounds a great compromise though. I hope they give it to you without the DS1500.