Press Release

Blue Badge Scheme Vital For Mobility Among Older People - But Ageism Lingers And Must Be Tackled

10th June 2008

-Help the Aged reacts to select committee report with a call to Ministers to act against age discrimination on mobility access-
 
Responding to the embargoed report produced by the House of Commons Transport select committee on 'Blue Badge' schemes, Amy Swan, Policy Officer at Help the Aged comments:
 
"This is a key report which contains important recommendations.  Without access to the 'Blue Badge' scheme, many older people would be at greater risk of isolation and loneliness which, in any event, is a growing problem in the UK.  Help the Aged research has found that 10% of older people felt often or always lonely, with over 290,000 older people saying they need help getting out the house but do not get it.*  To further back this up, the National Travel Survey has found that 45% of older people over 70 have difficulty walking and using buses due to their limited mobility.  Many of those people will be dependent on the Blue Badge scheme in order to get out and about.
 
"Help the Aged remains concerned that people who become disabled after the age of 65 are not entitled to Disability Living Allowance and are only able to apply for Attendance Allowance, which does not include a much-needed mobility top-up component.  This means that those older people are not automatically entitled to a 'Blue Badge' and are instead forced to rely on the discretion of the issuer.  This is yet another example of the blatant age discrimination which pervades far too much of older people's lives.
 
"This Parliamentary report should give Ministers pause for thought on how to address these problems.  Action must be taken now to end the discrimination older transport users face and ensure a level playing field for all."
 
Notes to Editors:
* Statistics from Help the Aged 'Spotlight' report, 2008