Blue Badge parking at UK airport rules and where you don't have to pay

The costs of dropping people off at airports is soaring according to a new study - with some places charging 500 per cent more in just a five year period. The RAC today described free drop offs as ‘a thing of the past’.  Across the UK, many disabled people use the Blue Badge scheme to park closer to their destination. Sometimes, your Blue Badge will also allow you to park in places free of charge.  In general, you will still have to pay for parking at UK airports even if you have a Blue Badge. However, some airports will give you some free time and have discounted prices. Blue Badge holders are also likely to have easier-to-access parking options and 24-hour assistance to get to and from those parking spaces.

Most airports will offer assistance should you need it, and offer details on their website. But remember, you’ll almost always need to contact them in advance if you need special assistance.

You don't necessarily need to book your place in advance, but getting in touch with the airport’s customer service is advised. If you have a Blue Badge, they will usually provide you with a voucher to display in your window while you’re away, but different rules may apply depending on the airport.

Most UK airport websites clearly outline your parking options and list the support or assistance that’s available to you during the entirety of your visit. Below, we’ve looked at the disabled parking amenities at several of the UK’s main airports, to help you plan your trip. 

At Aberdeen, the standard drop-off and pick-up charge is £5.50 for up to 15 minute stays. Blue Badge holders are permitted up to 30 minutes free to pick up and drop off using the Short Stay car park - just head to customer service on exit and get your ticket validated.

Belfast has upgraded parking for badge holders, but booking is required for long stay parking. You will need to book a long stay space; call them (at least 30 minutes after the booking) on 028 9448 4851 to request an upgrade. You can then arrive and park in the short stay parking (which is closer).

Birmingham Airport offers Blue Badge visitors 30 minutes free parking in the Premium Set Down car park. All of the car parks at Birmingham Airport are suitable for passengers with disabilities or reduced mobility.

All of Bristol Airport's car parks have clearly marked Blue Badge or special assistance bays. These are located either closer to the terminal or next to the reception building in Silver Zone. The shuttle buses are fitted with wheelchair ramps and are certified to carry one wheelchair. A wheelchair ramp request button is fitted to the outside of the bus. Blue badge holders can receive up to 40 minutes parking for a reduced fee of £6.00 in the Drop & Go car park. Simply drive up to the exit barrier and scan the barcode on the reverse of the blue badge.

Cardiff Airport has dedicated parking spaces available in both its Short and Long Stay car parks for passengers with reduced mobility, with parking charges the same in both car parks. There’s also ramp access available from the Short Stay car park to the airport terminal. If you have require assistance or need further information, you can also call them on 01446 729329 – they have a 24-hour service team on hand to help.

Edinburgh Airport offers wider space parking for Blue Badge holders in all of its car parks except Mid Stay. Assistance buttons are also located close to Blue Badge parking, and assistance is free of charge. For drop-off and pick-up, Blue Badge holders have 1 hour’s free access to any of their car parks. It’s worth noting that at the time of writing, there are currently no shuttle buses running between the Terminal and the Long Stay car park, with a temporary walking route in place.

Both Gatwick terminals have Blue Badge parking spaces, located near the transfer bus stops for the shuttle. If you want same-level access to terminal buildings, you can access the premium parking spaces – there are eight in the South Terminal car park and 18 in the North Terminal. Free assistance is provided if you require help getting to and from the terminal, and help points are located in the car parks. They also have a valet service, and you can ask for your vehicle to be parked in a Blue Badge space if needed. 

 At Glasgow  and Prestwick Airports, the standard drop-off and pick-up charge is £5.50 for up to 15 minute stays. Blue Badge holders are permitted up to 30 minutes free to pick up and drop off in the Short Stay car park - just present your Blue Badge at the information desk in the terminal building to validate your ticket. Stays longer than 30 minutes will be subject to normal car park rates.

Heathrow Airport has Blue Badge spaces in all Short Stay, Long Stay and Business car parks, all close to terminal access routes. All of the car parks are wheelchair accessible, and there are help points located close to the Blue Badge parking. The airport recommends you contact the appropriate car park in advance if you’ll need assistance getting to the terminal. If you’re being picked up and have a Blue Badge, the first two hours of parking are free in the Long Stay car parks.

At Liverpool Airport, travelling passengers who hold a valid Blue Badge can reclaim up to 40 minutes free parking in the Express Pick-up & Drop-off car park.

London Luton has Blue Badge parking bays in its Mid Stay and Long Stay car parks, but they recommend that you park in Terminal Car Park 1 or 2 if you require special assistance. Both of these car parks have help points and a short walk away from the terminal. The Mid Stay Car Park is a 10-minute walk and the Long Stay Car Park requires a 10-minute, fully accessible shuttle bus transfer to get to your terminal.

Manchester Airport offers Blue Badge parking in its Multi-Storey car parks, located adjacent to all three terminals, and in its JetPark car parks, located a short bus ride away. For shorter stays, Blue Badge holders can also use the Arrivals car park outside Terminal 1, though spaces cannot be pre-booked and spaces are more limited. For drop-off only, passengers with a Blue Badge are able to access the forecourt area, free of charge, provided the Badge holder is being dropped off. There’s assistance available in all of Manchester Airport’s car parks.

The Stansted Short Stay car park is located closest to the terminal, while the Mid and Long Stay car parks both require a bus transfer. However, all three zones offer assistance if you book in advance. Blue Badge parking is also available in the airport’s Express Set Down area (£7 for 15 minutes), though vehicles cannot be left unattended.

Fibromyalgia Paisley & Inverclyde Network (Fibro PaIN) is a support group which primarily covers Renfrewshire & Inverclyde although we do also have members from neighbouring areas. The group celebrates its 14th birthday in June 24.                                                                                                                                                       Hazel, Lorraine & Amanda raising                                                                                                            Awareness                            The group initially started out as Paisley FM with the intention of providing support to people in Renfrewshire only, however, a few years later with the closure of the then Greenock group the 2 groups amalgamated. While initially support group meetings were only held in Paisley, a new Greenock group formed a few years later.

Group meetings are held monthly in both Paisley and Greenock. Paisley is the 3rd Monday of the month (alternating day & evening meetings) and Greenock the 3rd Thursday. Group meetings allow members to chat, share experiences and find out the latest information in the world of fibromyalgia. Guest speakers may also be invited along to speak at meetings.

Raising awareness locally and fundraising has also been an important part of the group – including activities such as can collections, awareness stalls, pamper day, fashion show and more.

While the majority of our members benefits from online support through our facebook group, the monthly meetings provide the opportunity for those who prefer to meet in person to do so. For more information on Fibro PaIN please contact Hazel on fibroinfo@paisleyfm or 07305577314

The Chronic Pain Couple by Karra Elof

Review by Hazel Boreland

The Chronic Pain Couple by Karra Elof

“How to be a joyful partner & have a remarkable relationship in spite of chronic pain”

Before I review the book, a background to my own relationship status as this impacted on how I felt when reading parts of the book. I’ve been with my husband Allan for 35 years and been married for 31 of them. My fibromyalgia symptoms started after the birth of our daughter a year and a half into our marriage. So for the majority of our marriage – chronic pain has been a large feature.

Now to the book ! The book itself is well laid out in easy to read, short paragraphs and chapters. The book focuses on five main areas as a pathway to having a fulfilling relationship despite living with chronic pain.

1. Being on the same ‘team’

2. Practical tips for communicating with your partner

3. How to develop self-compassion and master your emotional wellbeing

4. How your pain and brain relate to each other and how it affects your relationship

5. How to enhance your sex life despite pain

The book combines information, education and practical tips which can help to give you a new perspective on how to get the most out of your relationships.

Throughout the book there are suggestions for ways you can improve communicating with your partner and how you can become the ‘same team’. I’ve always been lucky that my husband has always been on my ‘team’ but can see the benefits that someone who was not in that position would get from this book.

I enjoyed the section on pain, and felt that it explained clearly what pain is and how it can affect all aspects of our lives and relationships. The analogy of central sensitisation being like an alarm which is constantly going off when there is no danger is an easy one to understand. As well as the information on pain, Kara also makes suggestions on ways we can dampen down the intensity of our ‘pain alarm system’

I also enjoyed the various recommendations and suggestions on how to not only improve your relationships and communications with others – but also the relationship with yourself.

When I started on the book, I wasn’t sure at first how relevant it was to me personally but I got a lot more out of the book than I expected to. This is a book that I would recommend to anyone who is looking for ways to manage their relationships and chronic pain together.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Chron...

Shared symptoms

Systemic postinfectious syndromes share several symptom profiles, including post-exertional malaise, chronic fatigue, impaired concentration and memory, pain, and sleep disturbances (Jason et al., 2023).

Interestingly, the IOM (2015) core criteria for ME/CFS noted above are also core symptoms of Long Covid, as described in Chapter 3 of this report.

Komaroff and Lipkin (2023) provide a helpful table summarizing the overlap in clinical presentation between Long Covid and ME/CFS, based on the work of Wong and Weitzer (2021). The committee adapted this table to include symptoms of FM (Table 5-1).

Functional Implications

People with Long Covid, ME/CFS, and FM have decreased quality of life, including reduced physical and cognitive capacity, impairment in work performance, and reduced participation in society. In a study by Haider and colleagues (2023), individuals with Long Covid, ME/CFS, and FM reported a similar impact on physical and cognitive function; however, individuals with Long Covid versus those with the other two conditions reported lower pain and fatigue.

Other studies suggest that the functional impairment in people with ME/CFS may be greater than in those with Long Covid (Komaroff and Lipkin, 2023). A comorbid diagnosis of Long Covid with ME/CFS and/or FM further exacerbated pain, fatigue, and psychological domains compared with Long Covid alone (Haider et al., 2023).

Data currently under review show that ME/CFS and Long Covid cohorts do not differ significantly in any domain of quality of life using either the 36-Item Short Form Survey (SF-36) or the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule (WHODAS) (Figure 5-1), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), or the Modified Fatigue Impact Scale (MFIS).

For all three chronic conditions, symptoms are cyclic, with some relatively “good” days and frequent “bad” days. Some people with the conditions are able to perform their responsibilities at home and work, while others are bedridden and unable to work (Komaroff and Lipkin, 2023).