Is it too much to ask???

[poppett]

DVLA manage to send out reminder about driving licence renewal three months in advance, giving plenty of time to get it sorted.

Highland Council however give two weeks notice for blue badge renewal when they know full well that under the new rules for assessment they can take up to six weeks to process at local level, then another 20 working days for the badge to be printed in Hull. This is going to cause absolute chaos in the coming months, especially for blue badge holders who have a parking bay on their doorstep which they would legally be unable to use until the new badge arrives.

I also discovered this week that Occupational Therapists are doing the assessments and our designated OT for Caithness is based in Inverness. Whoever thought this up as a bright idea needs a brain transplant.

I did ask in May about the new application forms and was told it was "Too soon to worry about that yet". Even getting the forms a fortnight ago a full three weeks ahead of the current badge expiring the backlog is so overwhelming they can not cope.

The old system may not have been perfect, but it did work.

[Alice in Blunderland]

Thats how it all seems to go now. Make the system so awkward confusing and complicated that many people just throw in the towel.

[captain chaos]

If its a renewal you dont need to see the OT and there is only a couple of pages to fill out, not the whole document. Father had his back within 3 weeks

Cant say it was any more difficult than the old system if anything slightly faster.

[poppett]

It is a renewal and in both cases (75 and 95) it has been sent for OT referral.

Only existing badge holders on the high rate DLA mobility do not need new assessment.

Every other circumstance needs to start from scratch again.

[Kodiak]

My last blue badge ran out in May 2015. I downloaded an application form and filled in all the relevant details about 8 weeks before the expiry date. About 4 weeks later I received a letter informing that my Application had been successful and that the payment of £20 was now due.

I telephoned up Alness and I paid by Credit Card and in less than a week my new blue badge arrived dated the very next day than my old one ran out. never had a problem as I never waited for a renewal notice to arrive. Simples.

[poppett]

I did try to apply early but they said it was too soon!

According to the downloadable application neither of the candidates would qualify for a blue badge under the new rules.