fundraising news - British Polio Fellowship

support services
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on the outcome of an application. Therefore,
it is vitally important to get as much support
as possible from your medical/occupational
therapy team.
To sum up:
1. Inform your GP and other medical
professionals as soon as you apply in order
for them to supply a detailed report of your
condition and how it affects your daily life.
2. Contact the British Polio Fellowship Benefits
Advisor, CAB, DIAL or any other local agency as
soon as you decide to make a claim, as you may
have to wait for an appointment.
BPF: Disability Benefits Advisor – phone Support
Services (0800 018 0586) to book an appointment.
CAB: visit www.citizensadvice.org.uk or look
in the Yellow Pages to find your local branch.
DIAL: Visit www.scope.org.uk/services/localgroups/dial-uk
or call Scope Response on
01302 310123.
3. Start preparing, on spare paper, the answers
to the questions they have asked about your
disability and how you cope on your worst days.
Be honest about what you cannot, or struggle
to do, remembering to mention fatigue, rest
stops during an activity, and pain. Do not
put a brave face on it or gloss over your
difficulties.
Only fill in the form when you, and any
advisers/helpers/carers you may have, are
completely happy with your answers.
Blue Badge consultation
The Department for Transport has launched
a consultation on possible changes to the
process for accessing eligibility for Blue Badges
as a consequence of next year’s introduction of
the Personal Independence Payment (PIP).
With approximately one-third of all badges
currently issued to people who receive the
higher rate of the mobility component of
Disability Living Allowance (DLA), which will
be replaced by PIP for working age adults from
April 2013, the consultation sets out three main
options for reform:
•
Option
1 – no legislative link between
eligibility for a Blue Badge and eligibility
for PIP;
•
Option
2 – establishing a legislative link
between Blue Badge eligibility and the
enhanced mobility component of PIP; or
•
Option
3 – establishing a legislative link
between Blue Badge eligibility and those
who score eight points or more within the
“Moving Around” activity within PIP.
The Government says that it prefers Option 3,
as this would mean that eligibility for a Blue
Badge would be most similar to the current
scheme and the potential impacts of the
option are “minimal”.
The deadline for responding to the
consultation is Tuesday 2 October 2012.
To access the consultation, which includes
information on how to respond, visit: www.dft.
gov.uk/consultations/dft-2012-30
The document is also available in large print.
Live in Wales?
The Welsh Government has launched a
separate consultation on this issue. The
deadline for responding to this consultation
(Welsh residents only) is 30 October 2012.
To access the consultation, visit: http://
wales.gov.uk/consultations/transport/
bbadgecriteria/?lang=en
A reminder
Make sure you allow plenty of time for your
Blue Badge renewal to be processed! It can
take six to eight weeks in some instances.
(Sources: Rightsnet/Department for Transport/
Welsh Government)
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