‘The Blue Badge system is apparently not for us’

• MY ex-husband is nearly 70 years old and lives in sheltered accommodation. He has many health problems, including cancer, and has difficulty walking.

And he has had his Blue Badge taken away. Walking is difficult for him so not having the badge means he cannot park his car near the shops etc.

He was told you have to be on the high rate of benefit to qualify for the Blue Badge. It seems to me you have to have one foot in the grave to get the Blue Badge.

I applied for the badge so that when my family come to help me they could park near the house as I have got health problems too. But again I was turned down as I don’t get high-rate disability benefit. I just get pension and pension credits.

My ex-husband, like many Irish men, was working on building sites when he was just 16 years old in this country. Most of these men die young because of the hard manual work.

MARY COSS, N7