A pensioner who has held a blue badge for more than three decades has lost it after a “confusing” phone call.
Beverley Jerrard struggles to walk 30 metres without stopping as she has chronic ankle pain caused by an historic fracture, multilevel degenerative disc disease and breathlessness from an elevated hemidiaphragm.
However, the 77-year-old from Whetstone, London, had her renewal rejected by Barnet Council after a phone assessment.
As part of the conversation, a remote examiner did not consider her level of walking difficulty sufficient to meet the criteria.
Barnet Council has been approached for a comment
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She told The Telegraph: “I have had a Blue Badge for 30 years, I can assure you I have not had a miraculous recovery. It is never going to get any better. I am falling apart. I am quite shocked.”
She added: “The system had supported me until now but it has let me down. The impact on my life has been enormous. Is not easy to leave the house.”
According to Jerrard, the process had previously involved filling out a form which granted automatic renewal so long as she had “permanent and substantial disability which causes an inability to walk or very considerable difficulty walking.”
However, earlier this year, Jerrard was judged not eligible for approval “without further assessment” and she said she was referred to a private contractor called Dependability for a “confusing” phone interview in August.
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Jerrard was judged not eligible for approval for her badge (file pic)
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A letter from Barnet Council dated September 2, 2024 said: “The level of walking difficulty discussed on the telephone does not meet the definition above as defined by the Department for Transport and therefore you are not eligible for a Blue Badge at this time.”
The criteria is defined as either not being able to walk, experiencing “very considerable difficulty whilst walking” which could include “psychological distress”, or being “at risk of serious harm when walking.”
Two weeks later, Jerrard’s GP Dr Khandelwal wrote a letter of support urging the council to reconsider.
In the letter, the GP noted that Jerrard is plagued by “significant psychological distress and anxiety” on account of her condition, as she fears breathlessness and collapse if unable to park near her destination.
In her letter of appeal to the Assisted Travel Team, Jerrard said her distress at losing her Blue Badge had been exacerbated by ageing, as her “mobility and disabilities have worsened.”
She wrote: “I struggled to understand exactly what he was asking and to explain it in a coherent way since answering the questions made me feel pressurised, quite anxious and I felt quite flustered when answering.
After her appeal letter, Jerrard attended an in-person appointment with Barnet council and hopes to hear back in the next few weeks.
GB News has approached Barnet London Borough Council for a comment.