Blue badge

Hi  and welcome to the Online Community, although I am sorry to see you finding us.

I can’t answer your question about a Blue Badge but you may find our various Macmillan Support Line Services to be helpful - call them on 0808 808 00 00 This free service covers Emotional Support, Practical Information. Clinical Information, Financial Support and Work Guidance mostly open 8.00 to 8.00 but check the link.

We do have lots of support groups that are Cancer specific  and also ones that are general Cancer experience  groups.

Have a look round and if you see any groups you feel can help follow the links and join the groups by hitting the ‘Join the Group’ tab just under the main group name. At this point select how you want to receive email notifications when someone answers your posts.

You can either go to the 'Start a Discussion' tab just under the main group name. Set up your own Discussion and introduce yourself to the group - you could just copy an paste what you have in this first post. You can also have a look through the various threads by going into the ‘Discussions’ section.

We also have our ‘Ask an Expert’. section where you can post questions to our mostly Volunteer Experts but please allow 2 working days to get a reply.

Our Online Information and Support Section  is a good place to find information covering cancer diagnosis, treatments and pages covering most types of cancers.

When you feel up to it try putting some information in your profile. This really helps others when answering. It also means that you don't have to keep repeating yourself. Just click on YOUR username, select 'Edit Profile'. Put as much or as little in your profile and you can amend it at any time - you can see members profiles by hitting our forum names.

All the very best.

Hi 

My welcome to the on line community also.

Qualifying for a blue badge is not condition dependent but on how the condition affects your ability to carry on living a normal life and much of the criteria depends on your mobility and you have to answer many questions on how far you can walk.

On the information you have supplied with is not a type of cancer specific I can't say if you could apply as new rules are just about be implemented in England, other countries in the UK may have different rules, but broadly speaking if you have (say) lung cancer and this makes you breathless when you walk and have to stop and take a rest before continuing it would be the breathless part that would be the criteria that would decide if you could get a blue badge but you would have to demonstrate how far you could walk and how many steps you would take before stopping for a rest to catch your breath.

Certain conditions and benefits received can give an automatic right to a blue badge.

Local authorities who administer the blue badge scheme prefer for the application to be made on line BUT paper copies are available from The Blue Badge department of your county council, I've had a look at both and I would go for the paper copy but you have to submit a lot of certified copies of original documents.

Unfortunately local authorities may have a different interpretations of the new rules 

The new rules also take into account people who have hidden Disabilities.

If you decide to go ahead seek the help of someone like a volunteer from Macmillans or CA as they are used to filling in these forms. If you reached a certain age AgeUK are another good place for help.

If I can be of any further help please don't hesitate to contact me.

Ian