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Judith Addison · 09-06-2013, 22:08

I have been using my NoWcard for over two years since I had to give up driving on medical grounds and have often noticed that the bus stop printed on the ticket is not the actual one where I boarded. I supposed I'm somewhat naive and just thought that the driver had forgotten to change the stop, rather than being on the fiddle. However, I've just come across something a lot more worrying with regard to a NoWcard. A disabled resident has contacted me because renewal of her card has been refused. The lady is nearly 61 years old but won't qualify automatically for a card on age grounds until she reaches her state pension age, which in her case is 62. She is quite severely disabled in various respects but manages to do a small part-time job. I asked why renewal of the card had been refused. They said it's because she's only on the lower rate of disability allowance - if she was on the higher rate she would qualify. I said her health circumstances hadn't changed for the better so why was she entitled to a card before but not now? They said that when the cards were issued by the boroughs they sometimes interpreted the regulations rather flexibly but now they are issued by the county the regulations are applied strictly. They said that if the resident provided a photocopy of her blue badge, that would count as evidence of her disability. I explained that she didn't have a blue badge because she has no-one to run her round regularly - so all the more need for the card. Her GP had been asked for a medical report and had supplied it - this seemed to have gone astray! I said it seemed ridiculous that I as an able-bodied 64 year old could have a NoWcard on age grounds whereas this resident who really needed one on grounds of severe disability was being denied one. I'm going to pursue the matter as I think it's totally unfair that the lady can't get her card renewed. As for NoWcards being done away with in due course, there's often talk now at government level that "wealthy pensioners" may in due course lose their "perks" such as winter fuel allowance, free TV licence for over 75s, bus pass, etc. as they will become subject to means testing. I don't know what will be the definition of "wealthy" - will it be those who are really loaded or will it be people like me who have an occupational pension from their job and will therefore always be tax payers till their dying day?

09-06-2013, 22:08	#43
Judith Addison Full Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Oswaldtwistle Posts: 175 Liked: 58 times Rep Power: 1064	Re: The NoW Card I have been using my NoWcard for over two years since I had to give up driving on medical grounds and have often noticed that the bus stop printed on the ticket is not the actual one where I boarded. I supposed I'm somewhat naive and just thought that the driver had forgotten to change the stop, rather than being on the fiddle. However, I've just come across something a lot more worrying with regard to a NoWcard. A disabled resident has contacted me because renewal of her card has been refused. The lady is nearly 61 years old but won't qualify automatically for a card on age grounds until she reaches her state pension age, which in her case is 62. She is quite severely disabled in various respects but manages to do a small part-time job. I asked why renewal of the card had been refused. They said it's because she's only on the lower rate of disability allowance - if she was on the higher rate she would qualify. I said her health circumstances hadn't changed for the better so why was she entitled to a card before but not now? They said that when the cards were issued by the boroughs they sometimes interpreted the regulations rather flexibly but now they are issued by the county the regulations are applied strictly. They said that if the resident provided a photocopy of her blue badge, that would count as evidence of her disability. I explained that she didn't have a blue badge because she has no-one to run her round regularly - so all the more need for the card. Her GP had been asked for a medical report and had supplied it - this seemed to have gone astray! I said it seemed ridiculous that I as an able-bodied 64 year old could have a NoWcard on age grounds whereas this resident who really needed one on grounds of severe disability was being denied one. I'm going to pursue the matter as I think it's totally unfair that the lady can't get her card renewed. As for NoWcards being done away with in due course, there's often talk now at government level that "wealthy pensioners" may in due course lose their "perks" such as winter fuel allowance, free TV licence for over 75s, bus pass, etc. as they will become subject to means testing. I don't know what will be the definition of "wealthy" - will it be those who are really loaded or will it be people like me who have an occupational pension from their job and will therefore always be tax payers till their dying day?