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Hello everyone. I was wondering if you could answer this question. If I ring the PIP people for a letter of entitlement would this trigger anything. My blue badge expires early next year, does this letter have to be issued in the same year I wonder?. I have about 3 years left before my soft touch from PIP. Thank you and seasons greetings to everyone.

My PIP runs out October 2025 and I am due a review. I’ve had no forms through where I normally get my review forms the year before it runs out. I’ve called the PIP enquiry line just to be told there’s a backlog.

My blue badge will run out just before the end of my PIP October next year. I’ve heard that people are losing blue badges etc because DWP are behind on PIP reviews.

Are there any other members who have not received there review forms and have any advise on delays to PIP review paperwork and difficulty renewing blue badge during delayed review process.

Thank you

Hi MJ,

Might be worth asking your GP for a letter as proof, and maybe see about joining a CBT group about your anxiety, and then you'll have appointment letters, and additional evidence from them. When I attended my CBT, I told them that under no circumstances could I face doing this in a group, and they allowed me a weekly phone call of one hour, and a once per month appointment with a trained specialist alone. You can also use supporting evidence from friends/family who know what you experience. You could also try your local Citizens Advice and tell them you feel victimised by your local authority, as I believe it's them who run the blue badge team. It is with my local council based in the North East.

Chris.

I've approved your post anyways, and maybe someone who's encountered similar experiences can advise.

Hi All,

I have following argument received from Blue Badge team

"Although you report becoming extremely anxious due to your medical condition (asthma), you have not provided evidence that the distress of walking during journeys results in a severe anxiety state in which your symptoms are so severe that you cannot undertake the journey without being overwhelmed. The threshold is very high—a claimant who is anxious, worried, or emotional does not meet it. Additionally, the provided evidence does not indicate that you experience psychological distress while walking during journeys."

can anyone please help and guide how to counter this argument and which evidence does they require on top of medical records which were already submitted.

Thanks in advance.

Hi Souter,

I believe it's down to the discretion of your own local authority and what you possibly claim PIP for. I had 10 points for Mobility for the part where I need someone to accompany me to places but was denied online a blue badge for not having another factor. This link may help guide you to the right place:

www.gov.uk/apply-blue-badge

Chris.

Hi there,

Just to let you know that my wife had tried twice to get PIP for her Fibromyalgia , after reading your guides she managed to get her PIP at the lower rate , better than nothing , previously she had tried to get a Blue badge for herself that took three goes all ok now , and thank you again for your guides , keep up the good work.

After 1 year of waiting after submitting my PIP review the DWP gave themselves another year to complete the process. At the last moment (whilst I was completing my local council’s own Blue Badge application online I received a new certificate in the post extending my award for another year! So you may well get this right at the date that your Blue Badge runs out. If not then use the information that you have already used for yourPIP review to apply via your local council’s own Blue Badge scheme.
This delay also affected my Motability Car ‘hire’ as it was due to be replaced at that date - it has now been extended for that extra year too.
The official reason given for these delays is that New Claimants are being prioritised and there has been a big surge in New Claimants’ numbers since the Pandemic.

Hi butterflybear

You may not want to do this, but faced with a similar position to yours, one of our members applied for the blue badge directly through the council and was awarded one.

BIS

Thank you.My issue now is my blue badge is is up for renewal in December & my council have chsnged the criteria .Now they wont renew unless have a year at least left of my pip award.I need the blue badge most days.

Sorry, this was months ago!

Anyhow, you are right Birmingham Live News is misleading and appears geared up to demonise claimants and cause unnecessary stress for them.

The 'did you know you can get xyz for depression?' adverts, etc

1000s to lose benefits (as this 91 days thing).

This from get surrey

PIP freebies worth up to £70,000

Council tax discounts - average savings of £2,171
Blue badge car park saving £3,800
Motability Scheme - £23,760
(With average car rental costs in London around £66 a day, which could add up to a staggering £23,760 over a year, this could result in significant savings if you require a vehicle.)

and so on. It's complete madness.

I was wondering what would happen with passes, my partner has one & it will expire soon too. I’ll report back if they extend it, but I’m not expecting them to. He has a blue badge, but he wouldn’t be able to drive now.

I mentioned my worry about my blue badge expiring to my GP and he said he would recommend and sign any paperwork to renew my blue badge. I do have a bus pass but I don’t really use it. I also have a car park exemption from our local council so that will probably be my challenge!

Hi CRG,

I had a similar problem. I got round it by just applying for my blue badge without pip, just need the medical eveidence. Sometimes DWP send out a letter saying you have an extension for a year, but for mine they would not issue it until 30 DAYS before my claim was due to end .

Good luk

Hi CRG2024

Just tell the DWP that you need to put in for renewal of your blue badge and ask them for an extension letter. The councils require a letter to show that claimants still have at least a year to go on their PIP award.

Some claimants have got their letters easily from the DWP, and some have struggled to get one. Unfortunately, Like many of these things, it comes down to luck and who you get on the call.

BIS

My PIP award runs out on 12 January 2025, it was awarded it from 2018 till January 2025. I sent the review forms / reports on 05 April 2024 but I have not heard from them (like many others) - all I have is a text message confirming receipt of documents and health professional report and that a decision would be made in 6 x weeks (by the 17th May).

I am now therefore within 3 x months of expiry of my PIP entitlement and it is also time ro renew the blue badge

I do have the latest April letter (yearly update) which has the weekly amounts on it (they usually send these kind of letters in April every year) - it has no end date / it does not specifically mention what level of award there is although the amounts are self explanatory

I do have and "statement of entitlement" which lists the scores and enhanced rates BUT with end date 12 January 2025

I read somewhere that it is possible to call the PIP helpline and request "a PIP award extension letter" which should be valid for one year. Is this still the case? I need to renew my blue badge and this would seem the easiest way to proceed? I would assume it would be a similar document to the statment of entitlement but with an extra year

I read in an article in the newspaper that the DWP should be issuing yearly extensions on request

Any particualr advice on what I should tell them exactly when I call?

Many thanks

CRG

I have seen several posts about blue badge delays, so thought the following information might be useful to share as I have never come across this before:

We recently applied for a blue badge for my husband (1st application) and were told they were taking 16 weeks for new applications. We were surprised when TWO arrived, 8 weeks later, and thought this was a mistake. When we checked the dates and serial numbers, we found out one badge is dated for the next 3 years, then the second badge is postdated and starts in 3 years time when the current one expires!

I think this may be due to the delays with benefits and renewals and don’t know if it happening anywhere else, but thought I would share the info.

Hi, maybe you can ask your council if they can give you an update on the wait?

I know a few thousand are in this predicament due to long wait times with PIP assessments, and also with Blue badge applications and renewals, you are definitely not alone.

If there is ever a problem with your blue badge expiry, you only have to show your PIP extension letter and that should be sufficient evidence to your entitlement to a current blue badge.

Yours

Greekqueen

Thank you for your reply and help.
Had no idea and hope I have now changed it.
Many thanks

Hi Erica

I don't know whether you have used your full name as your forum name - but if you have, I would suggest that you follow the link and change it. Look for "My full name is showing"

benefitsandwork.co.uk/guides-for-claimants/faq/forum

I'm sorry, there is very little you can do about it, but contact your council and see if they can speed up the process.

BIS

Hi teresasue,

You can find the full list of ID acceptable to the DWP in the link below. Has your son had his migration letter ?
I cannot see Blue Badge amongst them.

www.gov.uk/jobcentre-plus-interview

David