Blue Badge Battle at Westminster: Minister ‘open for change’

KentOnline / KMTV

KentOnline’s Blue Badge Battle campaign has been debated at Westminster Hall, with the government agreeing to meet to discuss possible changes.  Gabriel Morris reports

Transcript

00:00Having to battle for a blue badge while fighting cancer is something patients say they simply

00:05don't have the energy for.

00:08That's why Kent Online started campaigning for a fairer system.

00:12Reporter Ellie Hodgson discovered that under current guidance an illness must last at least

00:18three years to be eligible.

00:21The issue now being taken straight to parliament.

00:24She first spoke to Sandy who was living with cancer and heard how a blue badge would ease

00:29her recovery from intensive treatment and its side effects.

00:33There's no other option but to apply for a full three year.

00:38If there was a different option that's what I would have applied for but you know to deny

00:43somebody that needs a badge, to deny them it because their ailment might not last three

00:51years isn't good enough.

00:54Since that first story dozens of other patients have come forward with similar experiences of

00:59being refused a blue badge.

01:01This week the issue being debated in parliament.

01:04Sandy hopes her voice will be heard.

01:07It was the MP for Mainstone and Morling who secured this Westminster Hall debate.

01:12An opportunity to speak directly to the minister.

01:15We need a fairer and faster approach to blue badge eligibility.

01:21An approach that recognises there are highly vulnerable people at the centre of these faceless application

01:28processes.

01:30People who deserve care, dignity and respect.

01:35With every Kent MP backing the campaign it now has local cross-party support.

01:40The focus should be on getting well and it shouldn't be about battling a system.

01:45I also want to pay tribute to the honourable member for bringing this debate.

01:49Can I thank my honourable friend and I absolutely agree with her that we all have to work within

01:55systems but this system seems heartless and a bit cold and I think that is the general experience of many.

02:02The minister then responded while a debate like this can't change the law directly campaigners

02:10say it's a vital first step.

02:12And I am open to the possibility of change to address some of the concerns that have been

02:19rightly raised today.

02:21At the end of the day I think that's positive.

02:23She's also agreed to reconsider the matter and I was quite concerned before the debate that

02:29the government were fairly resistant but now there's been a movement and that's good.

02:33For Sandy, she finally feels the government is listening.

02:36Yes, I felt that in our initial meeting a few weeks ago they'd really taken on board everything

02:42I'd said.

02:44I could tell from the debate that they'd listened, it wasn't just lip service and also the minister

02:51as well was listening to what they said so I'm feeling really positive.

02:55A meeting with the minister, MPs and councillors is now expected to be arranged but in the

03:01meantime patients could still be being refused a blue badge.

03:05Gabriel Morris for KNTV from the Houses of Parliament.

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