You don't always need the higher rate of DLA to get a blue badge. This may differ from council to council though. Husband has one and doesn't get higher rate.
Also, not always. They can be utter b******s when assessing people. Also, you may have to be reassessed when it changes to PIP. Husband is awarded for life, but has been told he will need to be reassessed when he is moved from DLA to PIP...like he may have suddenly become not blind
they were supposed to be getting rid of the blue badge criteria without HRM, although im guessing that could have been just manchester? i dont know,i remember hearing it some years ago,they also started denying people with very severe anxiety from applying for a blue badge without HRM,people
that bad would be house bound almost if it wasnt for a blue badge providing them near access to the car.
i used to argue constantly with physically disabled people why people with pyschological or neurological conditions may need a blue badge,why do people feel the need to question other peoples need for a disabled bay?
they even kicked off when blue badges started to be awarded automatically to people with SVI.
oh yes,the PIP reassessment!,im looking forward to it,i was non verbal and completely in my own reality when i was awarded the HRM-two professionals from the SS community learning disability team represented me at a tribunal and were out in 15 minutes,they said it should never have gotten to the tribunal stage.
but now ill be able to speak myself in how it affects me,and on top of that the police ever so helpfully provided me with a severe physical disability about 4 years ago so i would come under both the physical and behavioral/mental impairment criteria.
i wish your husband the best of luck with passing the PIP test,just get as many health professionals to back him up as possible.
is the benefit assessments pretty straight forward for visual impairment or is it as bad as it is for neuro/pysch/behavioral etc?