How To Get Registered Disabled?
By
HuutiMoney
This blog answers the question “How To Get Registered Disabled?” You can get registered as disabled for a walking disability with your council by applying for a blue badge. If you are severely sight impaired or blind you can also get registered with your local council for this condition separately.
How To Get Registered Disabled?
You can get registered disabled by applying for a Blue Badge. To qualify for a Blue Badge, you need to meet the following requirements:
- You are claiming the daily living component of the Disability Living Allowance
- You qualify for receiving the Personal Independence Payment because you cannot walk unassisted for a distance exceeding 50 metres. You should have scored a minimum of 8 points in the “moving around” activity of the PIP assessment test.
- You are suffering from a disability that is likely to cause you bodily harm from walking
- You are registered in your local council records as a severely sight Impaired person and also have a doctor or general practitioner’s certificate as evidence of this disability.
- You are eligible to claim the War Pensioner’s Mobility Supplement. This covers a range of disabilities from problems walking, to severe sight and hearing impairments.
If none of the conditions given above are fulfilled you will still be considered eligible subject to further assessment. You will qualify for this intermediate eligibility status if:
- You can drive a vehicle and suffer from severe upper limb disabilities
- You are applying in place of a child aged 2 years (or older) with a permanent or severe disability that hampers their walking ability.
- You are applying in place of a child aged under 3 years of age, suffering from a health condition that requires them to be in proximity of a Mobile Emergency Care Service Unit (at all times).
- You usually are apprehensive of spending time in public places and are fearful of going out to social events.
- You feel that your actions or responses in public can become very extreme or dangerous and you are also unable to restrain these responses.
- You find it difficult to accomplish daily mobility tasks such as moving around the neighborhood. You are also unable to plan a driving trip and navigate your way on the road.
- Walking is a very strenuous exercise for you due to the pain you experience, shortness of breath, or owing to the overall slowness of the entire process.
- You are unable to walk unassisted by mobility aids, a wheelchair or physical support.
Upper limb disabilities (for a Blue Badge) are assessed according to the following criteria:
- Having a severe upper limb disability in both arms
- Being unable to use a parking metre or facing serious difficulties while operating one.
- Being able to drive a vehicle regularly
It can take upto 12 weeks for your blue badge application to be processed.
If you are suffering from a terminal illness and have filled in a DS1500 form, you can complete a Fast Track Blue Badge application form.
What is a Disabled Person’s Freedom Pass?
The Disabled Person’s Freedom Pass allows you to travel for free across London and nationally all over the UK. To be eligible for using one you need to be a resident of London and comply with one of the following statutory disability conditions:
- Being hearing impaired
- People who have had their arms amputated, don’t have both arms or are suffering from a long-term loss of the use of both upper limbs.
- People suffering from a disability that affects their ability to walk or have had an accident that has impaired their walking capacity.
- People suffering from Dysarthria, which prevents them from speaking normally or speaking at all.
- Failing the DVLA driving licence test due to incompatibility with Section 92 of The Road Traffic Act 1988 (physical fitness requirement) which proves a “relevant disability”
- People suffering from a learning disability. This learning disability has led to critical and long term damage of their ogical thinking abilities, group interaction abilities and creative skills.
To apply for The Disabled Person’s Freedom Pass from your local council, if you are eligible, you will need to contact your council (by using their phone number or email address) Given below is the list of council’s offering the Disabled Persons Freedom Pass:
- Barking and Dagenham Council. Phone : 020 8227 2334/2325 Email : mobility@lbbd.gov.uk
- Barnet Council Phone : 020 8359 4131
- Bexley Council Email: travelawards@inspirecommunitytrust.org
- Brent Council Phone : 020 8937 5796 Email: independenttravelteam@brent.gov.uk
- Bromley Council Phone : 030 0303 8669
- Camden Council Phone : 020 7974 6435/5919
- City of London Council Phone : 020 7332 1224
- Croydon Council Phone : 020 8726 7100 Email : travel.service@croydon.gov.uk
- Ealing Council Phone : 020 8825 8161 Email : csprocessing@ealing.gov.uk
- Enfield Council Phone : 020 8379 1000 Email : ctravel@enfield.gov.uk
- Greenwich Council. Phone : 020 8921 2388 Email: mobility-duty@royalgreenwich.gov.uk
- Hackney Council. Phone : 0208 356 6262 Email:mobilityteam@hackney.gov.uk
- Hammersmith and Fulham Council Phone : 020 8753 6681 Email : freedompasses@lbhf.gov.uk
- Haringey Council Phone : 0208 489 1000
- Harrow Council Phone : 020 8901 2680 Email : concessionarytravel@harrow.gov.uk
- Havering Council Phone : 01708 434 343
- Hillingdon Council Phone : 01895 556633
- Hounslow Council Phone : 020 8583 3073
- Islington Council Phone : 020 7527 8444 Email : freedom.pass@islington.gov.uk
- Kesingston and Chelsea Phone : 020 7361 2390 Email : accessible.transport@rbkc.gov.uk
- Kingston Upon Thames Phone : 020 8547 5005 Email : concessionarytravel@kingston.gov.uk
- Lambeth Council Phone : 020 7926 7777 Email : accessibletransport@lambeth.gov.uk
- Lewisham Council Phone : 020 8314 9844
- Merton Council Phone : 020 8274 4901
- Newham Council. Phone : 020 8430 2000
- Redbridge Council. Phone : 020 8554 5000 Email : Redbridge.freedompass@necsws.com
- Richmond Council. Phone : 020 8831 6312 Email : AccessibleTransport@richmond.gov.uk
- Southwark Council. Phone : 020 7525 2146 Email : disabledtravel@southwark.gov.uk
- Sutton Council Phone : 020 8770 4578 Email : concessionarytravel@sutton.gov.uk
- Tower Hamlets Council. Phone : 020 7364 5003 Email : mobility.support@towerhamlets.gov.uk
- Waltham Forest Council. Phone : 020 8496 3000 Email : mobility.services@walthamforest.gov.uk
- Wandsworth Council. Phone : 020 8871 8871
- Westminster Council. Phone : 020 7823 4567
How do I certify myself as blind?
You can certify yourself as blind or severely sight impaired by getting a Certificate of Vision Impairment from your General Practitioner. You can also be registered as severely sight impaired with your local council. This information can be used to claim the Blind Person’s Allowance along with the standard personal allowance.
The Blind Person’s Allowance is an extra payment added to your personal allowance for being registered as severely sight impaired. To be eligible for getting the Blind Person’s Allowance you need to certify:
- You are registered with your local council as severely sight impaired. This needs to be proved by a letter from your council stating your condition
- You have a Certificate of Vision Impairment signed by your general practitioner or eye doctor..
The standard tax free personal allowance is £12,570. The Blind Personal Allowance is a yearly payment of £2600, added to this allowance. The total basic sum adds up to £15,170
You can choose to transfer your Blind Person’s Allowance to your spouse or civil partner. This can be done in the following circumstances:
- You are married or in a civil partnership
- You are living on the same property as your spouse or civil partner
- Regardless of whether your civil partner or spouse is severely sight impaired.
You can transfer your Blind Person’s Allowance to your spouse or civil partner even if they don’t live with you in the following circumstances:
- You are unable to live together owing to old age or illness
- You are unable to live together because you are employed in a workplace located at a substantial distance from your home.
- You are on service duty in the British Armed Forces
- You are unable to live together because either of you is a student or is attending a training course.
- You are unable to live together because you are in detention.
What counts as a disability?
The definition mentioned in Section 6 of The Equality Act 2010 regarding “what counts as a disability” specifies that you are disabled if:
- You are suffering from a physical or mental impairment
- The physical or mental impairment is having a substantial long-term negative effect on your ability to carry out regular activities.
Impairments that are automatically considered a disability include:
- Cancer
- Visual Impairments which include partially sighted and severely sight impaired
- Multiple sclerosis
- An HIV Infection
- A severe long-term disfigurement
These conditions are covered in Schedule 1 Part 1 of The Equality Act 2010
Check if the effect of your impairment is substantial
A substantial effect on your day-to-day activities means that it is more than trivial. The influence on your normal day-to-day activities may be substantial for more than one impairment. These problems include:
- Taking longer with everyday activities like getting dressed.
- Finding it difficult to go out on your own due to a phobia,
- Not being able to concentrate while watching TV or reading a newspaper owing to mental health issues
- Suffering seizures that cause you to lose awareness of your surroundings
- Having difficulty in talking to others and comprehending their conversations. The person is also avoiding socialisation for the same reason of not being able to figure out what people have in view.
- Not being able to read a book without a visual aid because of a reading impairment such as dyslexia.
- Mental conditions including depression and schizophrenia
- Sensory impairments such as those affecting sight and hearing
- Development conditions such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
Conclusion
This blog post addressed the question “How To Get Registered Disabled?” You must have the required medical evidence in the form of a doctor’s certificate or qualification for receiving the mobility component of the Personal Independence Payment, in the case of a walking disability to prove your impairment condition (to your council). In addition to this, you just need to attach all the evidence along with an application to your local council for registering as disabled (under the Equality Act 2010)
Please feel free to comment on the content or ask any questions in the comments section below :
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) : How To Get Registered Disabled?
A disabled person lives in my house, can I get a reduction in council tax?
Where a property is the primary residence of at least one disabled person the liable person may qualify for a reduction in council tax provided the following:
- A room has been provided to cater for the disabled person’s specific needs
- A second bathroom or second kitchen has to be provided for use by the disabled person
- Sufficient floor space has been provided to permit the use of a wheelchair within a property and that a wheelchair is in use
I have received a phone call saying I have overpaid my council tax, is this right?
No this is a scam, do not give out any of your personal information to any such caller. They only plan to misuse your Name, Telephone numbers or other account numbers for fraudulent activities. If you have overpaid council tax and can claim a refund, we will write to you.
The Council Tax Overpayment Refund scam has claimed many victims and needs to be looked out for. Report your case immediately to the Action Fraud Police
I own a house which is no one’s main residence, can I claim a discount?
A 50% person discount on council tax can be claimed in the following circumstances:
- Purpose built holiday homes that are unfit for human habitation
- A house owned or tenanted by a person who is required to live elsewhere due to the order of their employers
- A job related property that is occupied by the owner of a house elsewhere that is their primary residence
- A property undergoing major repairs or reconstruction following the 6-month period after purchase by the owner (this period can be extended to 2 years in some cases)
- A property undergoing major repairs or reconstruction for upto 12 months after purchase